


Klash of the Koopalings

by AlsoKnownAsA



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-24 06:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 153,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8359999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlsoKnownAsA/pseuds/AlsoKnownAsA
Summary: When Bowser falls ill, it's up to the Koopalings to tackle his latest plan. However, things go awry after a freak accident and the koopalings face their strangest foe yet: themselves.





	1. The "K" Stands For "Klever"

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a 'just for fun' fan project. The Super Mario series and all of its characters, locations, and concepts belong to Nintendo.  
> A brief explanation. Years ago I tried my hand at writing a story called "Klash of the Koopalings." It was a weird story about the koopalings (at least the personalities I imagined for them) encountering their Super Mario Super Show counterparts. My ideas outgrew my abilities, and I abandoned the fic after a year due to writing myself into a corner.  
> Fast forward to a month or so ago. I found myself jumping back into the "koopaling fandom" once more and perused the web for fun and interesting koopaling stuff. In my searching, I found the old story. I read it and I laughed: sixteen-year-old me sucked at writing! For some reason, I was once proud of the things I wrote and posted on the internet for all to see. Yet the concept still sounded fun to try out.  
> So with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the first chapter in the story!  
> -A

###  ** **

###  **Chapter 1: The "K" stands for "Klever."**

"Ugh Kamek-" Bowser blasted a sneeze across the room. His fiery orange hair matted against his head with sweat. Smoke trailed from his nostrils. The king of Koopas sniffled and stared out the window from his semi-reclined bed. He coughed and hacked and itched the sores on his chest.

Black clouds strangled the sunlight away. Torrents of rain swept across the volcanic hills of the Koopa Kingdom. The distant lava flumes emanated a dull red. Plumes of smoke rose from conic turrets along the mountains.

"Kamek." He whined.

All was silent save for the patter of droplets on the window.

"Kamek." He croaked, louder this time.

The royal retainer pushed open the bedroom door. A white surgical mask fastened over his beaky lips. His spectacles glimmered in the artificial light. He yawned, the mask stretched. His posture slouched.

"I'm out of orange juice." Bowser waggled a tall stone mug with his likeness painted on the front.

Kamek took the mug with both arms and set it on the ground. "Will that be all, your highness?"

"Yeah," Bowser grumbled.

Kamek procured a wand from his blue robes and tapped the crystal embedded at the tip.

"I should be out there Kamek. We even built a new ship to deal with Peach's knight in denim overalls, but no. Stupid ivory fever."

"You're not getting younger sir. Think of your health." Kamek pointed his wand to the ground. A high pitched ping noise sounded from the tip.

"This was going to be the one Kamek."

"Of course, sir."

A sledge-brother waddled into the room. His irises blank and his mouth dangled open. He carried a pitcher of orange juice in his arms. The glass monolith rose taller than Kamek.

Kamek levitated the pitcher out of the sledge-brother's arms with a swish and flick of his wand.

The sledge-brother snapped to attention, his slacked jaw clenched shut. "I-I can't stop my arms, they're movin' by themselves. I'm wiggin' out Jimmy..."

"You may go now Billy, thank you."

Lucidity returned to the sledge-brother's irises. He cringed at the monarch and shuffled back. "Uh, yeah. You're welcome." He waddled out of the room, quivering along the way.

"Now she's out there, prancing through her garden with the plumber and his doofus brother. I bet the weather doesn't suck either." Bowser slumped in his seat. "This is the worst."

"Why not send some minions in your stead?" Kamek used his wand to tilt the pitcher over the mug. An orange river cascaded into the stone cup.

"Pfft. What bunch of morons-"

A white ball smashed through the window. Kamek raised his wand to the window and stopped the ball, glass, and rain in mid-flight. His brow quaked. Sweat dribbled down his cheeks. The pitcher crashed to the ground.

"Cripes." Kamek snapped. Orange juice pooled around his feet.

Bowser words caught at the back of his throat. He peered out the window from the confines of his bed. A distinct pink head danced around a baseball diamond. The other players ducked for cover.

"The kids!"

"Don't fret sir. Remember your blood pressure. I can fix this." Kamek waved his wand and the complex puzzle board of glass solved itself.

"No you idiot, I can make the kids do the work."

"I suppose it's been awhile since they've been on an assignment. They need the exercise." Kamek's brow furrowed. The incident at the window played in reverse. The baseball tumbled back through the window and the shattered pieces began to seal. "There. Now for this other mess."

"There's no time, just get the maids to clean it. I need a word with the koopalings."

"But-"

"Now!"

**X-X-X**

Larry Koopa's shaggy azure hair sagged beneath the rain. He swept the bangs aside with the tips of his claws and tapped home-base with a baseball bat. His fingers flexed over the painted wood handle.

Lemmy planted his feet at the pitcher's plate. Rain drizzled down the bill of his baseball cap, a rainbow ponytail slunk down his neck. His tongue dangled from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey. Don't miss." Roy, his broad-shouldered older brother, whispered from behind Larry. He squatted low and readied himself for the pitch.

Larry tensed his arms and raised his bat. Thunder clapped in the distance. The raindrops slowed.

Lemmy hoisted himself on one leg and wound his body back. He leaped off the ground and flipped. He released the ball at peak momentum. The ball bulleted forward in a corkscrew twist.

"I won't miss." Larry exhaled and swung the bat. The crack rivaled a firework's. The white blur soared straight towards the pitcher.

Lemmy yelped and ducked.

The ball skipped across the mud into the outfield.

The koopa-troopa outfielders tripped over each other. Left field smashed into center field. Both crashed to the ground.

Larry dashed past first base and b-lined to second.

A right-fielder koopa scooped up the ball.

"Right here! Toss it here!" Iggy waved his arms around, his foot on second base.

Right field tossed the ball over Iggy's head to third base.

Larry graced over second and sprinted to third.

"Morton heads up," Iggy shouted.

The ball landed beside Morton. He craned over the ball. He shrugged and picked at his teeth.

Iggy's shoulders slumped and a frustrated groan parted his lips. He abandoned second base and ran for the ball.

Larry stomped third base and pivoted on the balls of his feet and headed for home.

Iggy's stumbled over himself. The lean teen grabbed the ball from the ground and hurled it at Roy. He lost his footing and slammed into the mud. His glasses tumbled from his cheeks.

Roy snatched the ball and ambled back to home-plate.

Larry closed in on home. "Hey, Roy!"

Roy steadied his posture. His expression unreadable behind his glasses.

"Don't miss." Larry dove head first for home-plate. His arms stretched forward.

Roy plucked Larry out of the air. Larry squirmed beneath his stronger brother's grip. Roy tapped him with the ball and tossed him aside. "You're out."

Larry hoisted himself to his feet and wiped the mud from his chin. "No fair!"

"Not if you're playing prison rules," Roy smirked.

The younger koopaling jumped at Roy, his claws aimed for the elder sibling's throat.

Roy shoulder-checked his brother and dropped him to the ground. He put his foot on Larry's chest. "Calm down there squirt."

"Let me up!" Larry squirmed and scratched Roy's leg.

"Calm down or else." Roy hocked a loogie and leaned over Larry.

Larry brow scrunched. The corners of his mouth curled downward. He twisted beneath Roy's foot. "Oh, ew, stop."

"Roy O. Koopa, knock that off right now."

Roy swallowed. The lone sister koopaling opened the courtyard door. Her arms crossed.

"Hey sis, just teaching this sore loser a lesson."

"You ever spit on me, people are going to open the dictionary and see your stupid face next to the word sore. When I'm done with you, you're going to sit to pee for the rest of your life." Larry squirmed and pounded Roy's leg.

Wendy stomped over to Roy. "Let him up."

Roy glared at Larry. He rolled his shoulders back. "Alright, sis." He lifted his foot from his brother's chest.

The blue haired koopaling struggled to his feet. His chest rose and fell. He wiped his muddied palms on his hips, his muzzle pointed to the ground. "Uh, thanks, sis."

"She didn't come out here for your sake. Baseball in the mud ain't lady like." Roy crossed his arms. "Spit it out."

"Kamek wants us all upstairs, dad's room, pronto."

Fat raindrops smacked the mud. The koopalings shared silent glances with each other. Lemmy spoke first. "That can't be good."

**X-X-X**

Ludwig Von Koopa tapped the highest 'C' and 'D' on his piano. Tinkling tones reverberated through the air. A musical staff littered with jagged scribbles stared down at him from its perch. He nibbled the pencil eraser and scratched the blue stubble on his cheek.

"The music's in your head, just play it." Ludwig hissed.

He held the pencil between his lips to free his hands and blocked out a chord. He trilled the highest keys and danced his fingers down the scale. A fierce crescendo contrasted the descent of tones.

A rancid note snagged the procession. He glared at the sausages he called fingers. The pockmarked pencil tumbled from his lips. "Curse these fat fingers."

He stretched both arms above his head. "From the top. Yes, from the top."

The door creaked open. A slender shadow stretched across the dim room. "Sheesh, you're going to ruin your eyes in this light."

"Of course I forgot to lock the door." Ludwig massaged his temples. "What do you want?"

"I apologize maestro, but we plebs are in need of your presence." Iggy weaseled behind Ludwig.

"I just need ten minutes."

"Bowser wants us now."

Ludwig's lip twitched. "He can wait."

Iggy tousled a soggy bang. He hummed in thought. "He is awfully sick, and he did call the whole gang. It must be important. Throne abdicatingly important."

"I don't think that's a word," Ludwig mumbled. "Besides, if that were really the case he'd give it to Junior."

"Alright, but when I volunteer to be his royal adviser, expect some serious changes bro." Iggy's cheeks spread wide. His pointed teeth caught the light in conjunction with his spectacles.

Ludwig shut the piano and rose from his seat. "Fine, fine, fine."

"He deigns to concede." Iggy covered his mouth.

The brothers exited the dim music room. Thunder boomed in the distance. Light strobed in the clouds and flashed the room

Ludwig strode down the stone halls. His back straight, gut sucked in and chest high. His lips curled down into a frown.

Iggy sauntered behind him. His slouched gait reduced his lanky height to the odd passersby. If just a pinch.

Up a stone staircase. Down a torch-lit wing with a wine-colored rug. Past gothic sculptures of fierce draconic beasts. A wide door the color of magma greeted them at the end. Bowser's insignia adorned the wooden surface. Light streamed between the cracks.

"Ladies first." Iggy bowed and twirled his arms at the entrance.

Ludwig punched his brother's arm and pushed through the doors. He saw Bowser first: his adoptive father's pallid skin glowed in the light. Purple sores speckled his flesh. Ludwig grimaced at the sight.

The others gathered in a loose circle around the patriarch. Each outfitted with a white medical mask. Ludwig wondered if such a precaution even prevented the spread. Best to not tempt fate, he reckoned. He took two masks from a nearby table and tossed one to Iggy. Both fastened the masks on tight. They approached Bowser slow.

Bowser's lone flesh and blood, Bowser Junior, hung off his arm. He too wore a white medical mask. Bowser and his youngest koopaling scrutinized the brothers.

"You're late." Bowser rasped.

"As if you're going anywhere."

Bowser and Ludwig matched glares.

"That's why I've called you knuckleheads in here. I'm bedbound and I need some work done." Bowser paused to cough. "It's a simple task."

"Oh! Oh!" Lemmy raised his hand.

"Lemmy."

"We're nabbing Peach aren't we?"

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Answer the question, please."

"Yeah..." Bowser sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Called it so hard." Lemmy pumped his fist. "That's twenty coins, Iggy."

Iggy shrugged. "I guess a deathbed confession was a bit too dramatic for a Super Mario fanfic."

"You thought I was-" Bowser forced a laugh, but broke into a fit of coughs. He regained composure and pointed to his body with his thumb. "It's going to take more than fevers and itchy sores to bring this bad boy down."

"This is the part where you tell us the twist now." Lemmy rubbed his palms together.

"Twist?"

"On the formula. The new thing we're gonna do."

"Nothing. Breaking, entering, snatching, end of story. Old school."

Ludwig's lips curved into a frown. "Help me understand: you want us to go out, exact the same farcical kidnapping ploy that always results in humiliating failure. I don't follow your logic."

"We'll do it, papa." Junior patted his father's arm.

Bowser smiled his son. "Knew I could count on you." He turned to Ludwig. "Consider it a chance to prove yourselves again."

"I don't much care what you think of me anymore."

Bowser wheezed. "How about I cut you deal. Instead of rotting in the dungeons, you can captain this crew."

All heads turned to Ludwig.

"Captain..." Ludwig whispered.

"But Papa!" Junior protested, but Bowser leaned over to the youngest.

Bowser whispered behind his palm. Junior's brows furrowed. The fiery haired teen nodded once.

"Alright, Papa."

Bowser turned to Ludwig once more. "Junior here is my eyes and ears. Do this right for once."

The eldest koopaling's neck tensed. His balled fists quivered. "Yes, sir."

"Good. You know what to do. Get out."

Ludwig examined the messy procession of his siblings.

Wendy strode out first in a runway-worthy gait. Roy forced his way past Iggy and Lemmy while Morton pushed Iggy and Lemmy through the doorway at a glacier's pace. Larry squeezed between the cracks. Junior stormed past Ludwig.

The eldest left last to catch up. He waited until the two of them were alone. He tapped Junior on the shoulder.

"You shouldn't say that stuff to my papa." Junior kept his nose forward.

Ludwig winced, 'my papa,' the kid pulled no punches.

"I just want to know what he told you."

"Like I'd tell you." Junior stomped away.

Ludwig shook his head. Half tempted to follow, he meandered a distance behind Junior. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words died on his lips.

Instead, he made way for his room, where an afternoon of packing awaited him.

**X-X**

A koopa airship dangled from the hangar ceiling. Various scaffolding adorned it, mechanics and engineers dashed along the catwalks. The obsidian black finish glimmered in the hangar bay lights. Golden letters etched into the stern and starboard read "KKS Maelstrom."

Ludwig whistled low. His tail swept back and forth in a lazy wagging motion.

"Me hopes it meets your 'spectations, cap'n Luddy." Iggy butchered a pirates brogue. He coughed and hacked. "Stars above, that's nasty on the ol' windpipe."

"Stellar work as ever." Ludwig paced the vehicle. "I've one complaint."

"Wowie I really have outdone myself."

"It's a bit on the large side. A hair smaller than a Mark III Koopa Kruiser. There has to be another, more inconspicuous, ship."

"Afraid not - by my calculations your weight would prevent a smaller ship from lifting off."

Ludwig scoffed and crossed his arms. "Come on Iggy."

"I'm being serious. You're a cake away from grounding this one too."

"Iggy!"

The slender koopaling cackled. "This is papa Bowser's freak of the week: the first stealth Koopa Super Carrier. Emphasis on first."

Ludwig tapped his foot. He imagined the hull blasted into splinters by incompetent mushroom people. "We're going to look like a bunch of idiots fluttering up to their front door in this."

"Chill. I repeat, it's a stealth ship." Iggy turned to the ship and shouted. "Hey, Rocky!"

A few slow moments passed before the goggled monty mole peered out of an open porthole. His white muzzle fur stained with grease. "Reporting for duty Boss."

"The captain's here for the grand tour."

"Aye." The mole pulled his head back into the ship.

A crew of moles bedecked in utility belts shuffled across the deck of the ship. One manned the lift station situated on the starboard side. "Clear." The mole shouted. The lift whirred and clanked the entire way down.

Ludwig hoisted himself onto the metal platform. It jerked into motion. Ludwig gasped and squeezed the guardrails. The oil-stained concrete floor drew further away.

The crew lined up while the lift locked into place high above the hangar floors. Ludwig brushed his palm through his hair. The lift locked into place. He eased off the platform onto the Maelstrom's deck.

The moles saluted Ludwig. Their shoulders high and heads straight. Right fist over the heart, left fist behind the back.

"Uh, at ease." Ludwig saluted in response.

The group's posture slacked.

"I'd appreciate a salute once and awhile." Iggy's lip curled into a slight pout.

"With all due respect boss, you're not the captain," Rocky replied. The mole wiped his muzzle with a rag.

"Fair enough." Iggy sighed. "On with the show I suppose."

Rocky took point and led the koopalings towards the bow of the ship. A squat, circular structure with blackened windows encompassed the front of the ship. A door outfitted with a brass locking wheel presented itself. Rocky grabbed the doglever and twisted it open.

"We've outfitted the Maelstrom with a state of the art bridge." Iggy began. Electric lights clicked to life. Various consoles spread across the front of the room. A rainbow nest of wires spilled onto the floor. Several moles picked and fished through the next. One called out for a tool, another complied. "To your right, we've got bells. To your left, we've got whistles."

Ludwig ignored Iggy and approached a swiveling chair poised above the other consoles. A steering wheel locked in front of it. He eyeballed the panels and buttons built into the chair's arms.

"How I've missed the captain's chair." Ludwig patted the plush seat.

"Go on." Iggy nodded.

Ludwig clambered into the seat at the word "go." A low hiss sound filled the air. Monitors lowered around Ludwig's head. A video feed of various compartments played.

He inspected the buttons on his arm panel. He tapped a flashing button with a camera printed on it. The video feed switched to various points of view outside the ship. "That's handy."

"You've also access to the bow mounted cannons. Just pull the triggers on the wheel there. I don't recommend it now of course."

A large purple button on the arm console caught Ludwig's attention. It depicted a closed eye. Ludwig cleared his throat and nodded towards it.

"Ah, perhaps it's best I show you what that one does. Here, let's switch places."

Ludwig, with some reluctance, slipped out of the captain's chair and allowed Iggy in his place. If only because curiosity got the better of him.

Iggy switched the camera view to the compartments and paged the engine room.

"Star Reactor, this is Iggy, you copy?"

"Yessir." A chorus of workers replied.

"Is the power-star stable?"

"Tip top shape." One mole replied.

"Stupendous. We're going to run a stealth drill, monitor that reactor."

"Sir!" The mole nodded.

Ludwig's jaw slacked a pinch. "You're kidding, this thing runs on star power?"

"Built the reactor myself. Mostly. We needed something a little 'spicier' than the normal magicrystal fuel." Iggy gushed the moment he noticed Ludwig's interest.

"Spicier?"

"Watch this." Iggy pressed the eyeball button. The bridge's lights dimmed, red lights clicked on. Iggy leaned into the mic and set it to 'live.' "Stealth mode commencing in thirty seconds, all personal clear the deck."

Iggy mouthed the seconds on his lips until: "Twenty seconds."

Ludwig's mouth dried out.

"Ten seconds." Iggy began counting back each second until... "Three, two, one."

A chill blasted through the air. Ludwig's spine grew rigid and his hairs stood on end. An emptiness filled his stomach, then his ribs, until it encompassed his entire body.

"What the-"

Iggy raised his index claw up to shush Ludwig. He danced his fingertips along the console and pressed the camera button to reveal the outside. An ethereal haze shimmered in the Maelstrom's place. Ludwig brushed his fingers through his hair.

"Boos and their transparency always fascinated me. Harnessing their abilities on this scale proved no easy task, but with a power-star anything is possible. If for a short while."

Ludwig scratched his chin. "It'll destabilize if you push it."

"Right'o." Iggy switched the screen to the reactor room. The power-star emitted fierce oranges and yellows behind its metallic prison.

"So, boo magic. You mean to say we're like ghosts." Ludwig stared at the back of his hand, half expecting a transparent haze. "Why can I still see you?"

"That's a good question." Iggy folded his arms and smiled. "I have no clue. The magic behaves in bizarre ways at this scale."

Ludwig cast him a derisive snort. "Sounds safe."

"It's perfectly safe. Sure we lost a few moles during the lab experiments, but we've come far since those first couple tests."

Ludwig turned towards the crew of monty moles stationed around the bridge. "This lunatic must pay you top coinage."

"Not enough," Rocky mumbled.

Iggy adjusted his glasses and shrugged. "Well 'lost' isn't quite true. They just never reappeared. They could be among us right now. Crying out for help."

"You're hilarious."

"Uh. Yeah. I'm pulling your leg." Iggy drummed his claws on his thighs.

Rocky shook his head. "Boss. There's still more to show."

"Right. Right. To the captain's quarters." Iggy hoisted himself from the captain's seat and gestured for them to follow.

Ludwig paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder. He strained his ears listening for spectral mole cries. Nothing but the faint hum of the lights on the bridge. "Ugh, this trip is going to suck."

**X-X-X**

Larry looped the strap of his leather satchel over his head and let the weight hang against his neck. He unhooked the flaps and parsed through the emergency essentials: snacks, portable gaming device, cellular phone, a hydra of chargers for any socket one might conceive, including a pair of pointed tips to draw electricity from produce, and several lithium batteries charged by solar patches embedded into the leather sides.

"Cute purse." Roy jabbed.

"Bite me." Larry snapped back. He scooped up a duffel bag and suitcase and made it a point to shuffle away from his pink-headed sibling.

Up the scaffold bridge into the compact nautical halls of the airship. Why the sea theme, he never figured it out. The koopaling huffed under the weight of his luggage.

"'Scuse me, mister Larry." A monty mole stopped him in the hall. "I could take your bags for ya. I wager you're a little over encumbered."

He imagined Roy just behind him. Roy waited for him to take the sissy route and shovel his load onto some crew member. Nope. Wasn't going to hear it. "Nah. I've got it."

"No shame in askin' for help."

"One hundred and ten percent sure I've got this."

"Alrighty. You oughtta be kinder to your back kid, it pays off when you're at my age, but s'pose that isn't my place say..."

"Right. Please move before this stuff falls on your head."

"Oh! Of course."

The monty mole shifted aside and allowed Larry the room he needed to press forward. He weaved through the halls. Peeking into cabins along the way. "Come on, it's gotta be close."

He whipped around a corner and smashed into an unfortunate bystander. He held his satchel close - the duffel bag and suitcase tumbled to the floor. "Crap, crap, crap."

A familiar frustrated gasp answered him.

"Sorry Luddy." Larry scooped up his belongings.

"Yeah. Just watch out next time." Ludwig softened his glare when he noticed Larry. He bent over and grabbed Larry's duffel bag. "It'd be a lot easier to dodge your," Ludwig cleared his throat and held his arms apart for emphasis, "horizontally challenged siblings if you slowed down some."

"Just excited to see my room."

"No kidding."

"Yup."

"You're on the wrong side of the ship." Ludwig hooked the duffel bag strap over his shoulder. "The koopaling cabins are closer to the reactor."

Larry cursed beneath his breath and stared at his feet.

"Better learn to watch that mouth of yours. You're going to upset the wrong person one day." Ludwig shuffled down the hall ahead of Larry.

"Oh yeah, I learned it all from you." Larry chuckled and hurried close to him.

"Shit, really?" Ludwig feigned embarrassment and covered his mouth. The brothers shared a laugh and traversed the halls. Ludwig kept a few paces ahead of Larry. "You could've asked for directions at least."

"Just wanted to find it myself." Larry glanced aside. He didn't want to bring up Roy.

Ludwig opted to lay off the issue. Perhaps sensing Larry's discomfort. The younger koopaling uttered an internal thank you to the Stars. After a quiet journey, the two came across the 'Royal Cabins.'

Color coded doors lined the hallway in the order of their birth. All save for Ludwig's. Larry figured he must be close to the bridge, he's the captain after all.

Loud hip-hop music blared from the hot pink door a few cabins down. He saw Roy doing pushups through his half open door. Larry shuffled to his cabin.

"Hey, Ludwig."

Ludwig turned to Larry.

"I think I know why you're grouchy at us all the time." Larry entered his cabin and dropped luggage on the bed.

"Come on I'm not all the time."

"You glower so much we've started calling you Frownwig behind your back." Larry's cheeks reddened. A risky fact to reveal to his older brother.

Ludwig, of course, frowned. His eyebrows drooped. He slicked back his hair and stared at Larry. "Okay. Why am I so grouchy?"

"You're just mad at how someone treats you. And you can't do anything about it because they'll beat you up. And you feel little and-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Ludwig folded his arms. "I knew you weren't being honest with me."

"I'd rather not talk about it anymore." Larry hushed himself. The one way to beat Roy was by himself. "I just, well, I understand now."

Ludwig nodded slow. "Alright, kid. Between you and me, we can always talk."

"I know."

Ludwig exited through the cabin door and stopped halfway. "Hey, Larry."

Larry turned to the door.

"Iggy was the one who started calling me Frownwig wasn't he?"

"Yup."

"Thought so." Ludwig nodded his head. "Going to kill him someday."

With that, the older koopaling stormed off. His usual self again. Larry slumped back in his bed and stared at the ceiling. "This trip is going to suck."

**X-X-X**

Junior puttered above the clouds in his clown-faced personal aircraft: The Koopa Klownkopter. "The K's sure are 'klever'" his dad told him that fateful birthday morn. He pointed to his open maw and retched.

"I"m not a baby, dad." The easiest words in the world to say alone among the nimbi. Junior leaned over the edge of his clowncar and searched for shapes in the white sky tufts. Anything to ignore the genial smile painted onto his aircraft.

"It's mine, I can just paint over it." He tapped the white paint-job. "Dad'll feel bad, though. He did commission it for my birthday."

Junior spun circles in the sky, arguing with himself back and forth. "I've already gutted the thing and modified it on the inside. It's just a paint job."

He blew a puff of smoke from his nostrils and searched his console for the "green telephone" button. He mashed the button and inspected a flat screen monitor built into the console. A dial tone broke the silence.

"Read you loud and clear Clowncar, this is Circus Tent." Iggy spit the callsigns in a mechanical fashion. His bespectacled eyes a tad too close to the camera.

"For the last time Iggy, we aren't using those callsigns." Ludwig's video feed appeared beside Iggy's on the monitor. He pressed a few buttons off-screen and Iggy's feed disappeared. "Speak your peace Junior."

"We're behind schedule. Papa- I mean Lord Bowser - wants this done before the year is out. "

"We're still working through the launch prep. According to Iggy, this ship flew once and that was a sunny day."

"Speed it up. We're burning daylight here."

Ludwig's expression flatlined. "Oh of course. Now go nip your dad's tail and explain why his expensive ship and several troops perished in a reactor explosion. Go on, be my guest."

Junior's bottom lip curled downward. "You don't need to be a jerk about it."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, bu-" The video feed disappeared. Junior slumped in his cockpit and fumed curses at his monitor. "Oh that's going on the report, you fat buck-toothed...jerk."

Junior huffed and scribbled on a sheet fastened to his clipboard. 'Just run crying to dad. You always do.' Junior's conscience chided. He sniffled then tossed the clipboard aside.

At least he would see 'ma-ma Peach' again. He cringed a bit at the white-lie his father cooked up for him. No, she never was nor will be.

Still, he humored his imagination for a moment: life at her castle in the crisp green hills of the Mushroom Kingdom. A well-mannered koopa prince, no stupid brothers, and a happy father with a mother. An actual one who wanted to stay.

"My you're so smart, Junior. You fixed up that goofy old clown machine by yourself."

"Why yes mama, I did."

"It's so cool now. I love the paint job."

"Thank you, mama, I-"

Thunder clapped beneath him. Junior's spine seized at the sudden noise. He gasped, his fantasy vanished. His heart pounded out a war beat and sirens rang in his ears.

He was alone again. Puttering in circles. Waiting.

**X-X-X**

Lemmy dangled his stumpy legs over the ledge of the Maelstrom's deck. His mohawk sagged beneath the torrents of rain. Lips eased into a natural half smile. The dull patter of raindrops against the wooden ship lulled him into a trance.

The clouds flashed beyond the mountains. He counted the seconds before the thunderous boom. He picked himself up and leaned over to touch his toes. His back emitted a soft pop. A content wisp of air quivered on his lips.

Lemmy tip-toed along the ledge of the boat, he peeked over the edge into various portholes.

Little Larry listening to music half-asleep, though he's not that little these days. "Stop growing so fast, kid."

Morton, mute, musing over "one of those Mane-gahs," Lemmy rolled the words off his lips. He tried to follow along once, but the stories hurt his head. Too much yelling.

"And where's Wen-" The koopaling caught a slick patch of metal and took a tumble along the side. He reached out and grasped a porthole's protruding metal frame. The tendons in his arms flexed.

Wendy jumped at the sudden noise and turned to her window. Her voice drowned in the rain and died on the glass. He tried to read her lips.

"Doh luck, mew hair me." Lemmy mouthed to himself. He chuckled and waved at her with his foot. She cocked her head, but instead of waiting for her answer he clambered up the side of the boat.

He shuffled across the deck, his claws clicked against the stiff wood. The brass "wheely door thing" to the bridge glistened in electric lights. He pressed his nose against the windows. The black tinting offered little in the way of sight lines. Still, he descried silhouettes of koopas and moles positioned behind squares. Iggy's hairdo protruded above the rest, a little island in the sea of black.

Lemmy twisted the door open. Air rushed past the released seal. Water trickled in and darkened the auburn carpeting. The koopaling slicked back his rainbow mop of hair and slid into the room. He pushed the door closed with his rump, not bothering to twist the wheel shut.

Computers beeped. Lights hummed. The bridge crew muttered to each other in low voices.

"Propellers are up and running, the reactor's warmed up, cannons are loaded, fuel gauges say we're full," Ludwig counted on his fingers, "I think we're about ready to shove off."

Iggy scratched his chin and leaned back in his seat. "Yeah Unless the weather-"

"Hiya Iggy." Lemmy peeked over the top of his brother's head.

"Gah!" Iggy jumped in his seat and struck Lemmy with the back of his head.

The smaller koopaling tumbled from the back of the seat and landed flat on his back. Iggy rubbed the back of his head and winced. "I think one of your little fangs nicked me."

"Nope. Don't taste any blood." Lemmy gagged. "Hair product, though, I got a mouthful of that. Tastes like the stuff Ludwig puts in his hair."

Ludwig turned to the both of them with an arched eyebrow. A question hid beneath his slacked bottom lip. He bit his tongue and turned back towards his monitors. "Nope. Not worth it."

Iggy swiveled the seat around. "Great now he's going to nag me about his hair product too."

"Eh, kest-la-vai." Lemmy shrugged in an exaggerated motion.

"C'est la vie," Ludwig muttered.

Lemmy giggled. "Gesundheit."

Iggy leaned over and propped his elbows on his knees. "Uh, Lemmy, we're kinda busy up here."

"Ease up Stretch." Lemmy leaned close and lowered his voice. "You've been hanging out with Frownwig too long."

"Shush. Ixnay in front of ubbytay." Iggy plucked an invisible zipper by his lips and swept it shut, twice for emphasis.

"I speak pig Latin too, upidstay," Ludwig shouted from his seat.

"Course you do." Iggy winced and leaned over his seat. "Lemmy I have to spend a whole trip with him, go bug Roy if you're bored."

Lemmy folded his arms. His 'lazy' eye snapped to attention. "You're going to set this puppy to autopilot soon as you take off. I need entertainment, there's no space on this friggin flying coffin, I'm going mad with boredom."

"It-it's still an experimental aircraft bro." Iggy slouched in his seat and flailed his arms. "Luddy's captain sure, but he's going to need this butt in this seat the moment that reactor acts funny. Believe me."

The smaller koopaling tapped his foot, his eyebrows arched down. "I don't think I do Stretch."

"Better learn to, Shortstack." Iggy craned over his brother.

"This is all very cute, but please wrap this up soon."

The two brothers stuck their tongues out at Ludwig and resumed their conversation. The blue-haired pomp mumbled insults too saucy for this fanfic.

"I've been wrapped up with my lab-work, sure," Iggy frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, "but I promise we'll hang out when this is all over."

"Pinky swears." Lemmy raised his outstretched pinky-claw.

Iggy hooked his own pinky-claw around his brother's. "Pinky swears."

Lemmy nodded a few times. His lazy eye spread apart once more. He unhooked his pinky. All smiles. He shuffled backward to the door, head locked on Iggy. "Okay Stretch, don't party too hard. Unless I'm here of course."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Iggy's cheeks spread into a nervous smirk.

"Knock her dead you guys," Lemmy shouted to the crew. "Not too dead, though, Bowser wants her alive."

"Aye." The crew responded in awkward semi-unison.

The small koopaling, content with the trouble he stirred, climbed back aboard the rain soaked deck. Dreaming up a day's worth of activities to enact with his favorite partner in crime.

**X-X-X**

"Breathe in. One, two, three, breathe out." Roy sat on his bed with his back to the window. His claws squeezed the stiff mattress in a vice.

Lights flickered. Shadows danced on the wall. His suitcase wobbled back and forth. He cringed at the noise. His head ached from the high altitude.

"Breathe in. One, two, three, breathe-" Sudden turbulence quaked the room. His suitcase tumbled on its side. "No, it's too rough for turbulence. We're crashing," he whispered. "We're crashing." His voice raised. "No, no we're crashing." He shouted and ran to the window.

Fog obscured all vision. Thick droplets trickled down the glass porthole. Then stillness. The setting sun cast rays above the mountainous cloud peaks. Roy wiped sweat from his forehead.

His door clicked open behind him. He wheeled around with clenched fists. "Out."

"Knock it off Roy, it's me." Wendy's bow cast a butterfly's shadow on the wall. "Heard you freaking out. Thought I'd investigate what's got big bad you in a fuss."

"Nothing." Roy's fists eased, then clenched again.

"If you say so." Wendy shut the door behind her

"Taking off in this weather, ugh, buncha lunatics." Roy huffed and dropped on his bed.

Wendy flopped on the bed beside him. "Alright tough guy, spill it. You're scared."

Roy slipped his sunglasses off. His sensitive eyes stung in dim light. "Okay. I am. I hate heights."

Wendy loosed a smile and chuckled.

"Yeah. Yeah. Rub it in." Roy perched the glasses on his head.

"I'm not laughing at you, stupid." Wendy jumped from the bed. "I worried over something silly."

The pink-headed koopaling tucked his legs beneath him.

"Chin up. We're all scared of at least one dumb thing out there." Wendy propped up the fallen luggage.

"Don't tell anyone."

"I won't. Even if a few of us out there might make use of the leg up on you." Wendy punched his arm. "Perhaps a certain little brother."

Roy scoffed. His brow stiffened. "He needs to toughen up. You guys tip-toes around him because he's the baby. Dad's too tired to go hard on him these days."

Wendy drummed the painted tips of her claws against the wall. "Maybe dad did it wrong too."

"You're right, he didn't go far enough. Lemmy's never going to grow up, Ludwig's quit trying altogether, Iggy's a nutcase shacked up in his lab all day, and I'm stuck with them. These younger guys need the right push."

"Stop being dramatic, you hypocrite. You never pick on Morton or Junior."

"Not these days." Roy rubbed his jaw and winced at a phantom injury.

"Plus, you're a hair older than nineteen. Pft, 'younger guys.'"

Roy scrunched his nose. His jaw locked shut. The hum of the air conditioning a roar in the silence. Finally, Roy spoke again: "We're a bunch of losers."

"Roy..." Wendy shook her head.

"I mean it. Dad thinks we're a joke."

"Wow, my brother's a mind reader."

"I feel it in my gut."

Wendy patted her older brother on the back and strut to the door. "You're just going to push people away with that attitude. Besides, how can we be losers when you've got me."

"I don't expect you to understand Wendy."

Wendy slid open the door. "I understand plenty." She shut the door behind her.

"I understand, like, plenty." Roy mocked in an exaggerated valley girl accent. He threw a pillow at the door and laid back on the bed.

He didn't need anyone to love or even tolerate him. He needed the others to be stronger than him. Why didn't they listen to him?

He set his sunglasses in the nightstand drawer, closed his eyes, and tried to ignore the climbing altitude.


	2. Mission Improbable

###  **Chapter 2: Mission Improbable**

Castle Toadstool: the gem of the western coast. Opalescent stained glass windows portrayed the Star Spirits before their cosmic throne. A procession of toads entered at the southern gate accompanied by a regal figure dressed in a padded winter coat. Two others in similar attire staggered behind him.

Peach Toadstool watched from the highest window. She peered through the glass. "You're right, he's going to die in this heat."

A silver-haired gentleman in a pearl wheelchair tousled his mustache. A thin hairless patch on his upper lip revealed an atrophied scar. "One less pain in the neck, I say."

"It was your idea to invite him." The left corner of Peach's lip curled upward. Her blond shifted over her shoulder with the tilt of her head.

"I'd never hear the end of it if you didn't." Agaricus Toadstool harrumphed. "He even showed up early."

"At least he's punctual." Peach grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. "We ought to meet him at the door, make him feel welcome."

"Yes, yes, hurry before he barges in and makes himself welcome."

Peach carted her father down halls she once wandered in her youth. Childhood days spent dodging the oppressive summer heat. The ruby carpets whispered beneath her father's wheelchair. A toad meandered beside the trophy room. His upper body craned over his cleaning cart; a half-spent cigarette between his fingertips.

"Morning Atticus." Agaricus coughed into his forearm.

"Morning, your majesty." The toad snuffed the cigarette on his cart and covered it with a muck stained towel. "Lovely day."

"Indeed" Agaricus nodded his brow towards the towel. "You really should quit that junk. Stuff'll snuff you in your prime."

"Er, yessir." Atticus' cheeks flashed a shade of crimson.

They royals left him to his duties. Hang right: a passage of archways funneled them to an elevator. Brass scissor gates blocked the way in. A toad positioned at the lift stretched the gate open and beckoned them inside.

"Your majesties."

"Elwood." Agaricus nodded.

Peach pressed a silver button positioned at the lowermost segment of the pad. Gears clicked and churned while the elevator descended. Peach counted the floors. A bright bell tone sounded and the toad positioned at the bottom floor opened the gate. The castle entrance hall awaited them beyond the gates.

The duke of Snowcap, his son, and his daughter entered the castle. The younger two stripped their coats, eager to toss them into the waiting servant's arms. The duke declined to remove his coat.

He was a broad man, two heads taller than Peach, with a black beard speckled with gray hairs. He lifted his furry cap, a sleek bald scalp beneath. "I swear this trip gets longer every time I make it."

"Glad you could make it uncle Rook." Peach released the wheelchair and hugged the duke.

"Hey, it beats ice fishing." Rook winked and released the hug. The large man stepped past Peach and approached his wheelchair-bound brother. "Agaricus."

"Rook."

The brothers shared a silent stiff handshake. Peach recalled family dinners spent in silence: the brothers the crux. She once asked her father after her awkward twelfth birthday dinner, but he said: "when you're older."

Peach ambled past her uncle. Her childhood friends beamed at her. The older of the two, Peter, wiped pearls of sweat from his crew cut hair. The sister, Petra, bounded up to Peach and threw her arms around her in an embrace.

"Good to see you too Petra." Peach gasped.

"Sorry." Petra released her cousin. "Just excited for some company other than," the black-haired woman cleared her throat, " you know."

"Yeah I'm sick of you too." Peter punched her arm. He approached Peach and extended a hand. "I'd hug and all but I'm soaked."

Peach embraced him. "Save the formalities for the cameras."

"Don't remind me." Peter scratched his pale chin. "The one time we're going to be on TV and we're extras."

"It's not always great. The limelight's always watching. For better or worse." The high-profile kidnappings of years past put Peach on the news more times than she liked to admit. She thanked her Stars for the past six years spent in relative quiet. And yet, a black ferlie ached in her chest. She anticipated Bowser in every waking moment. Her time was due.

Metallic clanks stole her attention . Blue armored knights patrolled the stairs. Their faces obscured beneath horned helms. Their thick pauldrons broadened their silhouettes. She hoped the new captain of the guard's 'changes' were not just for show.

"Oh, I know who I'm missing: that red-capped fellow you keep around. He's good for a laugh, where's he at?" Rook pulled Peach from her thoughts.

"Mario's in town with the man of the hour." Peach smiled. She hated him being away for this long, but she knew they both needed their space. "Just some last minute preparation for the big day."

She walked through the front door and inhaled the fresh afternoon air. Toadtown rested at the bottom of the valley. Fishing boats floated beyond the western harbor. Automobiles glimmered like rhinestones along the cobblestone roads in the center of town. Black clouds crowded the east horizon.

"Hope luck's on our side, that storm's gonna be a doozy." Rook waited at the edge of the doorway.

"There's plenty of room inside the castle. Can't cancel the party over a little bad weather." Agaricus's voice echoed across the grand entrance hall.

"Of course. It's going to take more than that to ruin our special day." Peach nodded.

Much, much more.

**X-X-X**

The voices range clear in Morton's head. Utaru's cocksure teenage tenacity dribbled from the text. Aranna's girlish sensibilities packed into each syllable. Morton imagined the pictures in motion.

"No, Utaru. You can't face him on your own." Aranna threw her arms over her heart and tore her gaze from her on-again-off-again lover.

"The lightning Crystals of the legends my father once told..they're too powerful to fall into his hands." He drew a greatsword from his back and pointed it to the horizon. "I must."

A showdown lurked in the future. The mysterious assassin Ysgra still lurked out there in the shadows. Morton ached for the next page.

Morton's tongue dangled from the side of his mouth. He pinched the paper with his claws and peeled the page back slow. Human imports required immense caution. He learned that the hard way.

A gentle three note melody played over the intercom. Ludwig's voice crackled through the speakers. "Alright crew, we're halfway over the Koophari desert. We'll be entering MK airspace before the day is out. I need the koopalings to the bridge in ten."

Morton huffed. "The story was just picking up too."

He peeked out his porthole. The rain-starved brown landscape spread for miles. Misty mountain peaks loomed in the distance, silent gatekeepers at the Mushroom Kingdom border. Just beyond them, the Agari Plains.

Morton opened his door a crack, Crystal Warrior Utaru tucked beneath his right arm. Larry stood in the hall with Wendy. They hadn't noticed him yet. He remained quiet and listened.

Larry stamped his foot. "I hate it. Dad always stuck me with Stonekeeper Fortress."

One of the oldest fortress in the Mushroom Kingdom. It guarded the quickest path on foot to the Koophari desert. Morton didn't envy the position. Mario leveled the Koopan opposition there first, never failed.

"Even now, it's not all that different. Things are going to fall apart. I just know it."

"It's plenty different Larry." Wendy ruffled his shaggy hair. Her brow relaxed. "Luddy's smart. You can count on that much."

"I know he is." Larry stroked the back of his neck. "I also know he's in a bad position. Junior's gotta be on his case twenty-four-seven. Dad has eyes and ears on all of us. This is still Bowser's plan."

Wendy snorted a laugh. "Ludwig's going listen to Junior, and right after he'll ask Roy to write him a diet plan. Two words: yeah right."

Larry scratched his neck. "That's a good point."

"Course it is." Wendy folded her arms and nodded. "If you're worried about getting stuck in that stuffy old fortress, just ask him about it. I'm sure he'll understand."

Wendy prattled to get Larry's spirits up, but Morton knew the truth. Ludwig wanted Bowser's respect. The fact that Ludwig captained the mission changed little. Bowser controlled it in his own way.

Content with his dirt, Morton slid the door open and made himself known. Wendy stepped to aside to accommodate the girth of her brother. Larry's side brushed against Morton. The younger koopaling flinched.

"Sorry Morton." Larry scooted to allow the koopaling room.

"S'okay." Morton knew the growing pains. Wake up one day and the world fits tighter than usual. Larry started growing late, but then so did Ludwig. He remembered the hell Roy raised when he inched above Ludwig in height. A few years later Ludwig managed to overtake him by a solid inch. Little Larry might join the club. Morton wagered Roy's reaction would fit between stone cold ire and jealous bitter resentment: the baby, taller than him.

"Almost forgot you were in there. You're so quiet." Wendy nodded at Morton.

Morton grunted. The Wendy he knew schemed beneath a veneer of girlish vanity. The masquerade shifted to the 'nice-girl' show she put on for the others. Then again, maybe she tired of being called a brat.

He continued past his siblings towards the end of the corridor. TV programs blared from within a cabin set aside for crew members: reruns of "Shells of our Lives" from the sound of it. Beyond the mess hall, a monty mole and koopa-troopa chattered about their wives back home over coffee.

Morton gripped his book tight. The deck hatch loomed. Wind roared from beyond the metal seal. He twisted the lever and pushed. His sparse hairs whipped to and fro. The dry air drained his nostrils of moisture.

A few adventurous crew members maintained posts exposed to the elements. Monty moles that traversed the ship in metallic service hatches for outdoor maintenance. Morton blocked the wind with his clawed fingers and traversed the deck.

The ebon windows of the bridge gleamed in the desert sun. Morton's shape reflected on the glass. He approached the brass door.

Ludwig's voice rang out the moment he entered.

"Junior, we're not doing it." The eldest koopaling lifted his right leg over his left knee and reclined in his seat.

"This meeting's pointless." Junior grimaced over a telecom monitor situated at the front of the room. "There's nothing wrong with the original plan."

"It leaves us divided at a critical moment." Ludwig pinched the bridge of his muzzle and brow.

Morton scanned the room left to right. The rest of the navigation crew cringed at the argument, like children caught between their parents. Roy rested at a long table, his head rested on his fist.

"Think about your report Ludwig." Junior waved a clipboard at the screen.

"My report is going to look a lot worse when Iggy's not here to fix the reactor because we dumped in the middle of the jungle to stop Mario." The last edges of Ludwig's patience sizzled. The eldest koopaling leaned forward in his seat. Smoke wafted from his nostrils. The muscles in his neck twitched.

Morton prayed Iggy built fireproof equipment.

"I'm done discussing this with you."

Junior folded his arms and matched Ludwig's glare. The room lay silent.

"Finally you both shut up," Roy called out.

Ludwig whipped a one-eighty in his chair. "If you have anything productive to add to this conversation, I'm all ears."

Larry, Lemmy, and Wendy entered. The outside atmosphere roared and drowned the argument. Lemmy cocked his head. "Smell's like brimstone in here."

Ludwig eased a slow, relaxed sigh from his lips. "Alright, you're all here. It's time we discuss what Bowser intended for us to do. We-"

"Slow down a bit Luddy." Lemmy held his hand up. "Just a real quick question."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Where's Iggy?"

Sure enough, the lanky younger brother's station was vacant. The eldest koopaling paced the console. A pink canister the width of his palm lay on the floor. "Oh no."

**X-X-X**

Iggy dumped the contents of the bag into the bathroom sink and rifled through the pile. His lungs ached, a stiff queasiness filled his gut. "No, I just had it."

Soon, it came: a distant thrum.

"Keep it together Iggy." He envisioned the bridge and retraced his actions. Ludwig spoke to him about the oncoming mission. He called Junior up. Ludwig and Junior started to fight. Iggy fought to remember, but the thrum evolved.

A whisper. "Ig-gy?" Always the subtle lilt of a question. It repeated. Again and again. He clasped his hands over his inner ears and gazed into the mirror.

The Iggy in the mirror watched him back. He knew it. The glass surface betrayed its true intent. Not a mirror, but a window. Iggy gasped and jumped back. He smacked into the wall. His legs collapsed beneath him.

"Ig-gy?" A louder whisper, alongside the quiet one. Two figures materialized in the mirror. "Ig-gy?" A throng of them now. An ensemble. A stadium. They screamed his name.

Tears flooded his cheeks. He dragged his claws down his cheeks. "Go away."

The door rattled. Iggy's neck stiffened. He tucked his knees to his chest.

"Open the door, Iggy."

It sounded like Ludwig, but not him. A terrible creature with stolen vocal cords. Iggy shrieked: "go away."

The creature punched the door. Iggy's heart pounded in his throat. Crunch. The door bent out of shape and peeled open like the lid of a tin can. Ludwig crawled over the wreckage. His skin dangled from his bones. His eye-sockets too deep. Shadoweded faces peered in from beyond the broken door.

The creature that wore Ludwig's skin spoke: "Calm down Iggy."

"Don't touch me."

"I'm not going to touch you."

"Liar."

The creature offered a small pink canister, a white star painted in the middle.

A holdout of Iggy's rational mind registered the sight. He swiped the canister from the creature's paw and poured three off-pink tablets into his palm. Iggy choked them down. The voices screamed louder and his throat burned.

The lanky koopaling buried his face in his open palms. Eons passed in black internal depths behind closed eyes. The screams diminished to whispers, and to a thrum after that. Soon it disappeared. Iggy lifted his head from his arms. He saw Ludwig's clawed fingers atop his shoulder.

"You're looking better." Ludwig offered to lift him.

Iggy waved the assistance aside and steadied himself on the toilet. His arms quivered beneath his body weight. "How long was I out of it?"

"Long enough."

"Sorry." Iggy hugged his arms across his chest and squeezed his thin biceps. A wet blanket of guilt draped his back. How could he lose his medicine?

"Sorry I didn't realize you were gone." Ludwig sighed. "You know me, I set my mind on something and-"

"Tunnel vision. Yeah." Iggy grinned. He leaned over the sink and grabbed the contents of his medicine bag. He splashed sink water on his face. His neck twitched. "Guess I'm late for the meeting."

"Of course. That's a citation." Ludwig folded his arms and nodded towards the scrapped door. "You get another one for forcing me to tear that door down."

Iggy snorted back a laugh. "I thought I hallucinated that part. That poor door."

"Roy's bothered me to join him at the gym on a semi-regular basis. He nags about as much as Junior sometimes." Ludwig examined his claws and tried to show off his bicep.

"Guess you hit the fridge just as often." Iggy opted to check his brother's ego.

"Yeah you're back to normal." Crimson flooded Ludwig's cheeks. The eldest koopaling hiked his heel over the wreckage. "You still need a moment?"

"No, I'm ready." Iggy followed a few feet behind. A troupe of monty moles gathered at the destroyed door, their mouths agape. Rocky pushed through the crowd.

"Eldstar help me." Rocky wheezed and clutched his grease-stained uniform at the chest.

"Don't worry about that Rocky." Iggy sized up the damage. "I'll pitch in for clean up after our little shindig at the bridge."

"Aye, boss." The mole prodded the mess with his toe.

Iggy trailed behind Ludwig to the bridge. The other koopalings hushed when Iggy entered the room. Iggy focused on an imaginary point a few feet in front of his muzzle. Anything to distract from the weight of their stares. He slipped into a chair and clasped his hands together.

Lemmy waved from across the table. "Hey, Stretch."

Iggy offered a limp wave in reply.

"Apologies for the delay everyone." Ludwig cleared his throat. He took his position at the front of the meeting table. "Let's get to brass tacks."

The koopalings murmured an apathetic affirmative.

"I've just finished reading Bowser's proposed plan." Ludwig set a manila folder atop the table. "The gist is this: we blast down their front door, snatch the princess and at several strategic choke-points, we drop one of you guys off alongside a gaggle of troops."

"Ugh, we always do that." Roy jeered.

Ludwig nodded. "I'm aware. Our success rate is nil under these parameters. Mario trounces us in a one on one fight. Even you Roy, our most capable fighter."

"Not this time." Roy gritted his teeth.

"You're right. I'm disregarding the written plan."

"No, you aren't Ludwig." Junior seethed beyond his telecom screen. "You're supposed to follow orders."

"I'm the captain, I make the orders."

"You're never going to captain again."

Iggy cleared his throat and raised his hand. Ludwig pointed at him. Iggy stood from his seat. "Let's put it to a vote. Majority rules on the issue."

The other koopalings nodded and grunted affirmatives.

"Fair enough." Ludwig shifted his gaze to Larry. "Go on, you first."

"Oh." Larry twiddled his thumbs. "I'd like something different. I hate getting shacked up in that stuffy old fortress."

Attention shifted to Morton. He shrugged. Iggy swore Morton attempt to nod "yes." The conversation pressed on.

"I'm with Larry, my tail almost froze off the last time dad stationed me in Snowcap." Lemmy's face faltered. The phantom chills of years long past climbed his spine.

"Different ain't always better, but then dad's plans never work. I say we give you a shot." Roy nodded at Ludwig.

"Majority rules with or without me." Wendy cranked her wrist and shrugged. "Either way, I'm with you."

"You know my vote, Luddy." Iggy nodded.

"The people have spoken, Junior." Ludwig attempted to clasp his fingers behind his back to elevate his posture. The breadth of his shoulders forced him to abandon the notion halfway and rest his arms at his sides. A pinch of red warmed his cheeks.

"This isn't a democracy Ludwig."

"Oh get your head out of your-" Iggy bit his tongue and revised his sentence, "get your head out of the clouds. Maybe it's time we tried something for ourselves for once."

Junior's words floundered on his lips. He managed to say: "You're all being stupid. Papa's going to skin us all, you know."

"Much as I hate to say it, I need you all on board for this to work." Ludwig leaned over the table. "Including you Junior."

"I'm not doing a thing you say."

"How about this: you play along and suppose it works, I'll play up your involvement in the plan and you'll be regarded as a hero. If it doesn't work I'll tell Bowser you refused to stick with us and you'll get your wish: I'll never lead an assignment again."

Junior's raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Okay. Maybe I'll listen a little."

"Good. Gather close everyone, here's what I'm thinking..."

**X-X-X**

Junior unfolded his spyglass and put it to his eye. A dull roar of chatter emanated from the Castle Grounds. He scanned the area left to right. A plethora of west-sea yoshis and their heavyset chief waited at the front gates. Cloaked nomadimice rested in the shade of the pine trees situated around the lawn. Long lines of toads trekked up the castle fields; capital city brothers and sisters welcomed loved ones of the five provinces.

Then he saw her. Peach graced among the crowds. A rabble of citizens armed with cameras hounded her. "Bingo. Princess located Lemmy." Junior lowered his spyglass and caught Lemmy peeking over the side of the Klownkopter, his pupils followed a procession of guests carrying presents. "Pay attention doofus. I found her."

"I am," Lemmy mumbled. His voice level. One eye focused on the guests, the 'lazy' eye rolled towards Junior.

"Don't do that, it's freaky." Junior frowned.

Lemmy flashed his teeth at Junior and focused his attention back on the castle grounds. "There. Drop me off there."

Junior followed the older koopalings gaze to a green hill at the rear of Castle Toadstool. Junior nodded, set aside his spyglass, and grasped the yoke in front of him. His aircraft jerked to the right and puttered over the castle.

Lemmy's mohawk bounced with the movement. His eyes twisted in all directions, much to Junior's chagrin. The second eldest koopaling pounded a beat on the lip of the Koopa Klownkopter.

"Stop that, please. You'll scratch the paint."

They touched on a flat patch of grass at the apex of the hill. Lemmy flipped from his seat and landed on the ground in a handstand pose. "Tah-dah!"

"Show off." Junior tucked his hands into his armpits and slouched in his seat.

Lemmy tried to wave with his foot but stumbled. He over-corrected his posture and slammed on his back. Lemmy's brow wrinkled, he hissed in pain. "I'm okay."

Junior bit his lip and chuckled. He reached into his cockpit for Lemmy's black cap. "Of all the people Ludwig sends on the ground, it's the one with rainbow hair." He tossed the cap to Lemmy.

"I can't help my natural hair color." Lemmy pinched the cap from the air.

"Yeah. Right. Just cover it up."

Lemmy stuffed his mohawk into the flexible black cap and gave Junior the thumbs up. "See you on the other side." He trudged down the hill and left Junior alone.

Junior put his spyglass to his eye and adjusted the magnification. Lemmy chirped over Junior's headset.

Junior pressed 'talk' on his radio. "The heck was that?"

"Yup. The mic works."

Junior rolled his eyes and followed Lemmy with his spyglass. Lemmy reached the bottom of the hill. He stopped at the picket fence at the edge of the royal garden and hopped over it into a bush. Junior tightened the magnification. Curled red flowers rested among the deep green bushes. He recognized them: roses. Junior gasped and spoke into his radio. "Lemmy, you okay?"

"It hurts everywhere."

"Stars above, you're an idiot. I think I can still swoop in and pick you up. I knew this was a bad idea."

"Dial it back a bit, kid. I can still walk." Lemmy shuffled through the bushes and slumped into the dirt. Red cuts adorned his arms and legs. "Just keep an eye on what's ahead."

Red and white flowers bloomed in bunches to form the likeness of a "super Mushroom." A popular Mushroom Kingdom symbol. Junior panned his spyglass along the trimmed dirt paths in the garden. Mario and Luigi stood beneath an arched trellis, their tell-tale colored hats visible between the wicking. "Mario bros ahead."

They spoke to a mustachioed Pianta in a bowler hat. A pair of Pianta's dressed in black suits gathered beside him. "Franky Pianta's here too."

"Don Franky? Mario keeps colorful company."

Lemmy crouched through the garden paths and peeked between a pair of shrubs at the trellis.

"Keep moving Lemmy," Junior whispered.

"I have to know what dirt the mafia has on Mario."

One of Don Pianta's goons twisted towards Lemmy's shrub. "Lemmy I think one saw you."

"Yeah I'm movin'." Lemmy pivoted on his heels and weaved between an orchard of squat apple trees.

The Mario brothers and the remaining Piantas split into groups to cover more ground.

Lemmy skidded to a stop at a hedge. His head whipped left and right. Junior scanned the other side.

"It's clear. You just need to get over somehow." Junior's throat croaked, his tongue felt like sandpaper. His palms quivered.

Lemmy threw himself head first into the hedge and forced his way through to the other side. Junior scrutinized the garden for any pursuants. The piantas moved deeper into the garden and the Mario brothers regrouped at a gazebo.

"I think you're safe Lemmy."

No response.

Junior whipped the spyglass towards Lemmy's last known position. Gone. A guard patrol in his place. "Crap. Lemmy come in. Lemmy."

**X-X-X**

Water rushed below Lemmy. A pair of guards chattered above the lip of the ledge. Lemmy hoisted himself up an inch to better listen.

"Her Majesty's been a little too paranoid for my liking." The yellow capped one spoke.

"Come on, you get kidnapped every other year and let's see you retain your sanity." The blue capped one shrugged.

"My brother's stationed at the border, and he says the Darkland Clan Koopas just jeer across the line. It's annoying, but they're afraid of us, they won't pull anything."

"Yeah you wish." Lemmy dangled low again. Junior's voice rattled in his inner-ear. Lemmy breathed slow and dug his clawed feet into the brick wall. He freed his hand and put a finger to the headset. "Calm down, I'm alright."

"I had half a mind to call the Maelstrom in for plan B," Junior whined. "I can't see you."

"I'm in a bit of a tight spot." Lemmy peeped between his legs at the moat below . Lemmy followed the current, the water rushed into a series of grates affixed to the stone walls . A rusted one struck his fancy. "Weird question, is my equipment waterproof?"

Iggy's voice piped in. "Of course. It can last the 'Darkland's' weather conditions. Water isn't going to hurt."

"Then I'm about to go for a swim. Wish me luck." Lemmy visualized the drop. The water left him open to attack from any half-brained guard that investigated the splash. Break open the grate, squeeze in, and wiggle through. Easy enough.

Lemmy pushed off the wall and dropped into the moat. Frigid water enveloped his body. He flinched but set to work. He surfaced and swam to the rusty grate. He grasped the bars, used the wall for leverage, and pulled. Weatherworn screws yanked free. The grate broke loose and sunk into the murk.

He filled his lungs and squeezed into the hole. Walls closed tight around him. He dug his claws into the wall and dragged his body through. The cuts from the rosebushes ached, a new scrape opened on his knee, his lungs burned.

Lemmy squeezed out the other end. He loosed a few air bubbles and let them crawl up his cheeks. He followed their rising motion to the surface.

His head bobbed above the water. He gasped for air and gagged. The room stank of mildew. A thick layer of algae painted the stone walls green. Water wheels churned against artificial waterfalls. Metal walkways rounded the wheels in a serpentine pattern.

Lemmy kicked his legs in the water and clambered up the nearest walkway. He crawled on his knees, a mouthful of water spilled from his lips. He retched and pressed the talk button on his headset. "It-it worked. I'm inside.

"Describe your location," Ludwig ordered over the headset.

"Um, there's a couple of these, like, water wheels," Lemmy lifted his cap from his head and wrung the water out, "pipes too, a whole network of them in the ceiling, and some cruddy old lights."

"I'd bet money you're at the Toadstool Castle's pump system."

"No way they drink this junk." Lemmy wiped his tongue on his forearm, only to realize his arm too was covered in mucky water. He shuddered and propped himself up on the guard rails situated around the walkway.

"It's for the outdoor water fixtures. A generator powered pump shoots the water up the pipes, the fountains do their thing, the water drains back here, moves the wheels, and the wheels help charge the generator for the next day."

"Efficient." Lemmy wandered the walkway. The water roared around him. "Fancy teaching me a way out of this place?"

"Professor Iggy's on the case. Lemme see," paper shuffled on Iggy's end of the radio, "good news, it won't be too hard to reroute you. There's a ladder that leads to the boiler room."

"Lucky me."

"Yeah, but then comes the kitchen, there're two ways out. The dining room, which is packed with guests, so that's out of the question. Or the servant's quarters."

Lemmy sidled around the last water wheel and bumped his head against the ladder. He rubbed his nose and eased himself up the ladder. "So what? The servants are going to be busy with the party."

"They need to take a break sometime."

"Good point, Stretch." Lemmy poked his head over the top of the ladder. A toad in black-stained overalls sat in a chair near the boiler. He snored and sputtered in his sleep.

Lemmy worked his way around the napping Toad and shuffled up a wooden staircase. Light haloed the door at the top. He peeked through the keyhole. An eyeful of pastel blue greeted him. Lemmy wrinkled his nose and opened the door.

A seven-tiered cake tall as Ludwig rested on a wooden table. Orange frosting fire flowers encircled the base. Fondant stars marked each tier. "Oh, baby. Birthday Cake located. Might kidnap me a slice of cake before we're out."

"Keep your head on Lemmy." Ludwig jumped on the radio. "Roy and Morton just reached their position. You need to hurry."

"Come on Luddy. I'll nab a slice for you too."

"Just do your job. We're running out of time."

Lemmy shrugged and hooked a claw-tip of frosting. He popped it in his waiting maw. A pleased hum vibrated his lips. "It's cream cheese frosting."

"Lemmy!"

"I'm going, I'm going."

Lemmy slipped through the kitchen and into a small rec area. A time-worn sofa seated two toads in front of a television. Crowds screamed from tinny speakers. Lemmy crawled behind the couch and peeked over.

A soccer game played on screen. The two toads leaned forward, palms on their knees. The announcer's frenetic energy coursed through the room.

Lemmy approached the room's exit: a wooden door waited in his path. He peeked through the keyhole. Empty, save for plush beds.

He peeked over his shoulder, grasped the door handle, and waited. The announcer's voice crescendoed. The toads leaped from their seats and cheered. Lemmy cracked open the door and slid through. He shut the door behind him; the noise canceled by the cheers.

The koopaling popped his knuckles. "Yeah I've got this." He proceeded forward and slammed his shin against a knee-high stool. He moved the stool aside and wobbled forward.

Cozy beds lined the walls in neat rows. Family photos and late night reading material rested atop a nightstand. One allotted for each bed. "Might quit this job and come work for Peach. Servants quarters are nice."

"Dad'd mount your head on a wall if he heard that." Iggy chuckled on his end.

"Sure, but I'd be working for Peach by then." Lemmy rolled his feet heel to toe. His weight balanced. He crouched at a corner and peeked around. A hallway stretched forward. Toads entered the hall and left in quick succession. A few carried silver platters with drinks, others with appetizers.

"Alright, I'm staring down a long hall."

"Check the third door on the right."

Lemmy peeked out again, the third door cracked open a pinch. Roy's sunglasses just visible. The door shut. Lemmy sprinted down the hall, threw open the door, and ducked into the room.

"Took you long enough," Roy growled. He leaned against a delivery truck labeled "Lugga's Shipping."

"Ran into a bit of trouble at the beginning." Lemmy wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Ludwig should've sent me alongside you guys in the first place."

"It was my idea you were dropped off separate from us. You would've gotten in our way." Roy opened the back of the delivery truck. Two clubbas lay in the back, tied up and gagged. Their eyes closed. The one nearest Lemmy wore a nametag that read: "Hi, my name's Trubba."

"They're not..." Lemmy dragged the flat of his finger across his throat.

"Nah. They fell asleep soon as they were tied up. Lazy bastards." Roy tugged a box from the back of the truck. "Morton, get Lemmy's 'party favor' out of the truck."

Morton opened a striped box topped with a bow. A battle-hammer with an orange crystal fixed into the head caught Lemmy's eye. The small koopaling clambered up the truck and peeked inside the box. Beneath the hammer lay a pair of gauntlets with red crystals fixed into the palms.

"I think these gloves are a bit too big for me." Lemmy lifted a gauntlet from the box. His arms quaked beneath their weight.

"They're not for you, moron." Roy pulled a squat, gray superscope from the box. He shoved it into Lemmy's arms.

"Aw, this thing looks like crap." Lemmy weighed it in his arms. "It's even made of plastic."

"Watch where you point it. I modified it myself." Iggy called in over the headset. "Light weight, compact, hits hard, perfect for the job."

"When you said I got the weapon to take out Mario and Luigi, I imagined something with more...oomph."

"Trust me, it has plenty oomph. Now since I modified it for stealthy encounters, I needed to do away with any excess. Including ammo capacity. You have four shots. Two for those plumbers, and two extra in case you miss."

Lemmy pouted and tucked the weapon against his shoulder. He stared down the sights. "If you say so, Iggy."

Roy opened the box he lifted from earlier. "Hurry up and get in there."

Lemmy crawled into the box.

"Sit tight." Roy shut the box over Lemmy's head.

The koopaling set the superscope in his lap. "Here we go."

**X-X**

Roy and Morton nodded to each other.

"Alright. Phase two." Roy popped his neck and hoisted an umbrella from the back of the truck.

"Afraid you'll get wet?" Lemmy poked his head from his box.

"Get back in there." Roy tapped the box with his foot. He aimed the umbrella at a clubba and squeezed the handle. Magical energy slithered from the ferrule. It enveloped the clubba. Smoke surrounded Roy.

Once the effect cleared, Roy resembled the unconscious clubba. Clothes and all. "Your turn Morton."

"You need a funny voice to match that stupid face." Lemmy stuck his tongue out at Roy.

"I said get back in there." Roy jabbed at his older brother with the umbrella. Lemmy dodged into the box. Roy tossed the magic parasol to Morton.

Morton obliged the same process. Once acclimated to the new form, he lifted the box of weapons.

Roy grabbed Lemmy's box.

"Stay cool. I'll handle the talking."

Roy opened the door and fronted the duo. Servants shuffled past them. None the wiser to the saboteurs. Roy trudged through the hallways, Morton lagged a few paces behind.

The duo navigated the crowds until they reached the grand entrance hall. A throng of party goers gathered, presents in hand. "Hope he likes ours." Roy grinned at Morton.

Morton remained silent.

Roy snorted and focused his attention forward. "Come on, you've gotta have a sense of humor in there...some...where." The hosts of the lavish party entered from the staircase, the crowds cheered.

Peach hooked her arm around Mario's and waved. The sequins in her gown sparkled. Mario held his red suit jacket with his free arm and smiled for the cameras.

Luigi and Daisy occupied the opposite end of the staircase. Similar attire to their counterparts, per the usual. "No wonder they're always second-fiddle," Roy mumbled.

A fifth person tailed Peach and Mario: a warrior bedecked in silver plate armor. A blue cape clipped to their right shoulder and obscured their drawing arm. Roy noticed a pale human chin visible beneath the horned helm's visor.

Junior was supposed to keep tabs on Peach and friends to prevent "surprises" like this. Roy bit the inside of his cheek. His tail twitched.

"What now?" Morton whispered.

"Let's move." Roy planted his foot behind him and shifted his weight on the heel for a pivot when he caught Peach's expression. Her eyes locked on his for a mere second.

She tugged at Mario's arm and pointed in Roy's direction.

Mario tore his fixation from the crowd and eyeballed the 'clubbas.' "Hey, it's Lugga's boys." Mario waved.

Roy's forearms tensed. He abandoned his pivot and straightened his posture. Morton edged closer to Roy.

Mario whistled low. "Shoot, those presents are huge." The procession of hosts surrounded the disguised koopalings. Cameras and guests alike focused on the new faces.

"Oh yeah, the best of the best for you guys."

Mario reached to take the present, but Peach grabbed his arm.

"Wait. You sound familiar." Peach approached Roy. Her heels clicked against the tile.

"Course he does, he probably delivers to the castle every day." Mario raised his brow at Peach.

"Might I catch your name?" Peach folded her arms.

"Um, Trubba." Roy flashed his teeth and pulled the corners of his lips tight.

"Your name tag says 'Frank.'"

Frank? What kind of clubba name was that? Roy's toes curled.

"Must've mixed up our stuff in the wash. I'm Frank." Morton inched forward, Trubba's name tag pinched between his fingertips.

Peach dragged her gloved hands over her face. "Of all the times you guys decide to pull this." She turned to the silver knight. "Arrest them."

The silver knight drew a sword and pointed it at Morton's chest.

"Whoa whoa, take it easy." Mario propped himself between Roy and Peach. "What's gotten into you?"

"Listen to the man. " Roy nodded at Mario. "A smart guy who wants his birthday presents."

Mario tilted his head. "It's not my birthday."

Peach's cousin, Petra, entered the room. A small boy in fine clothing rode her shoulders. A dirty blond mop of hair dangled from his head. The boy played with Petra's earring and giggled. He looked no older than a year.

Or perhaps, he was exactly one year. Roy gulped. The invitation said "Mario." He must have missed the "Junior" part. Roy's mouth sagged a little. "Oh ho my mistake. It's been a long day of deliveries."

"How about this, you show us what's in the box, 'Trubba.'" Peach reached out to Roy's box.

"Come on, don't want to ruin the surprise." Roy shook the box in his arms.

"He can take it." Peach's lips pursed.

Roy bit his bottom lip and shook the box again. "But, the surprise." He shook the box harder.

"Plan B!" Lemmy screamed and threw off the lid. He hiked the superscope to his shoulders and aimed at Mario.

Mario was too fast. He socked Lemmy's cheek. He whipped his head towards Petra. "Get him out of here."

Petra gasped and hoisted the child from her shoulders and sprinted in the opposite direction.

The two koopalings reeled back. Roy lost his foot and fell on his back. His disguise dissipated in a cloud of smoke. Lemmy tumbled from the box and struck his head against a wall.

The silver knight jabbed Morton. His disguise disappeared. A fresh pinch of blood trickled from his wound.

Morton bashed the silver knight's sword aside and shoved them back with his foot. He pulled his hammer from the box. The orange crystal embedded in the head shimmered.

He slammed the ground. The tiled floors shattered in ripple pattern around him. Paintings fell from walls. Mario and Peach stumbled to their knees.

The gem on the hammer faded from orange to black. Morton's lips curled into a sneer. He shook the hammer. The gem flickered orange again, then faded. He shrugged and approached the knight.

Morton raised his hammer to crush the knight when Luigi smashed Morton's gut with a diving headbutt. Morton cried out.

Mario charged the koopaling and slammed his jaw shut with an uppercut.

Both brothers jumped and kicked Morton's upper body in tandem. The koopaling lost his footing. He crashed on his back. Pained moans parted his lips.

The silver knight leaped above Morton, sword aimed to impale.

Roy snatched the knight by the ankle and whipped the armored fiend to the ground. Mario jumped at Roy's eye level, fist reared to strike. Another figure charged in from the corner of his eye. Roy swatted Mario out of the air, stepped back, and kicked the legs out from under the second figure.

Daisy flipped forward once and landed on her back. She loosed a haggard breath and laid on the ground for a moment.

"Daisy!"

Roy spun on his heels. Luigi dangled inches away from crushing his skull with a hammer. Roy fumbled his fists to his face to block.

The man in green dropped out of the air, convulsing. A purple ball of energy embedded into his side. A moment later, his joints locked in place .

All attention shifted to Lemmy. The short koopaling's arms quivered. Smoke wafted from the tip of his superscope.

"Snap out of it." Roy roared.

Lemmy regained his composure and pointed the gun at Mario.

The silver knight grabbed the barrel of the gun and aimed it towards the ceiling. A purple energy ball flew past a horn on the helm. The knight slashed down at Lemmy.

Lemmy tore the gun from the knight's grip and slid between their legs.

The knight planted a foot on the ground and swung behind to strike Lemmy.

Lemmy rolled under the horizontal slice and sidestepped the vertical follow up. The knight stabbed, Lemmy leaped up and landed on the flat of the sword. The sudden weight on the weapon staggered the warrior.

A fireblast tossed the knight across the room. Lemmy tumbled to the ground. He winced and rubbed the back of his head.

Roy adjusted the gauntlets on his hands. Flames trickled from the gauntlet's palms. He stomped past Lemmy and raised his fists.

The knight struggled to their feet. A scorch mark emblazoned on their torso armor. The knight raised their sword.

"Th-thanks." Lemmy hid behind Roy.

"Go help Morton you idiot."

Lemmy nodded and skittered away from Roy.

Morton lashed out at Mario with his hammer. The plumber hopped over every swing and kept just out of reach.

Lemmy aimed at the distracted Mario and blasted him with the modified superscope.

Mario followed the same pattern as his brother. A short fit of convulsion. Then he froze.

All three koopalings angled towards the knight.

"Three on one. Give it up." Roy punched his fists together.

"I beg to differ." The knight spoke. Her voice shook the air. "Queensguard, on me."

The elite guard swarmed the room. Blue armored toads gathered behind her. Low-level guards gathered at the doorways to block the exits.

"As captain of the guard, I order you to drop your weapons and surrender."

Roy watched Peach, she stood behind her knight in silver armor. He faced Lemmy and mouthed "Call Luddy." Lemmy nodded. Roy walked towards the knight and scoffed. "I'm shakin' here, a toad army, oooh scary. Lemme just do some simple math here." Roy counted the crowds of knights and mouthed numbers. "That brings your odds up to, oh, two on three."

A pack of knights lashed out at Morton, while three chased after Lemmy with weapons raised.

Two knights dashed past the captain and lunged at Roy with polearms.

Roy rolled his shoulders and adopted a wide-legged stance. His fingers twitched. He snatched the blades of their weapons and forced the charge to a halt.

The knights struggled to tug away the polearms, but Roy remained steadfast.

He spread his arms and the knights with them. More knights rushed Roy, he smacked them aside with his improvised weapons. The knights crashed to the ground in a pile. He stomped towards Peach.

Peach reluctantly raised her fists.

The captain stepped between the queen and Roy. "No, your Majesty. Let us handle it." She drew a dagger from her hip and wielded in tandem with her short sword.

"Cocky sucker, aren't you?" Roy threw a polearm at the captain and charged her in tandem.

She deflected both attacks with two deft movements of her sword.

Roy's lips twisted. Smoke billowed from his nostrils. He opened his maw. An orange flicker of light burgeoned from his throat.

The captain headbutted Roy. Her metal helm lacerated Roy's cheek and cracked his glasses. She lashed out with her leg and stamped his crotch.

Roy reeled, a lightning bolt of pain rocked his spine. The copper tang of blood swirled in his mouth. A thin stream of light trickled between the break in his glasses and burned his eyes. He threw wild punches, messy bursts of fire followed his fists.

The knight tumbled away from the onslaught and tossed her dagger into his gut.

Roy dropped to his knees. His teeth bared. He raised his head to his opponent.

"I'm giving you one more chance to end this, beast." The captain held her sword with both hands.

Roy pulled the dagger from his gut. He smashed the blade into the ground and climbed back to his feet. "This is the first real fight I've had in a long time, I'll give you that."

A shadow overcast the fighters. An obsidian eclipse lurked beyond the stained windows. The fighting ceased: a calm before the storm.

"This is about to get messy." Roy grinned.

A massive explosion shattered the facade of the building. Debris scattered in all directions. Roy shielded his face with his gauntlets.

**X-X-X**

Wendy paced the metal floor. A pack crew members waited behind her, their weapons holstered to their hips. The lights dimmed and complex machinery whirred around them. A crack of daylight entered the room. A wall opened into a ramp.

Toad guards scattered in all directions and blue-armored knights escorted injured party guests from the scene.

"Oh man we're screwed." Larry gasped.

"At least we can make a show out of it." She brandished her arm length wand. The pink crystal at the tip fired a ring of energy at a cluster of guards. She flashed her teeth in a malicious grin. "Let's get those boys outta there."

Larry unhooked a pair of flintlock styled pistols from his belt. A deep hum resonated from a sturdy metal case built into the back of the guns. He nodded at Wendy.

The siblings and the crew assigned to them ran down the ramp and into the fray.

She zapped a nearby guard with her wand and climbed over his stunned body. Larry tripped over a slab of rock and crashed into a pair of Queensguard knights. He shrieked and blasted them with his pistols at pointblank range. Their bodies slumped back.

"I'm going to be sick." Larry gagged into his arm.

"No, you don't." Wendy grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him up. He plodded behind her, his head ducked in shame. She avoided most of the fighting. Instead, she scanned the battlefield for her brothers.

Just ahead, Lemmy cowered behind Morton. A cluster of knights ganged up on them. Morton smacked one into the wall with his hammer.

Wendy blasted three energy rings into the knights and caught them by surprise. The energy rings coiled around their bodies and locked them into the place. Wendy steadied her wand and concentrated her magic to hold them still.

Morton swung his hammer in a broad arc and sent the knights across the room.

"Props to you Wendy." Lemmy applauded and ran past her. "If you'll excuse me, I'm off to cry into my pillow."

Morton limped past Wendy and nodded at her. His normal stony expression remained. He grunted.

"You're welcome." Wendy placed a hand on her hip. "Where's Roy?"

Morton pointed his hammer at a spot across the battlefield. Wendy squinted and made out Roy's pink head beyond a crowd of panicked castle servants. He swung a limp punch at a silver knight, who inched aside and sliced his arm. Peach ran up to the knight and shouted.

"Meet you back on the ship, big guy." Wendy winked and weaved through the crowd.

Larry attempted to match her speed, but he fumbled over debris and injured knights.

Wendy aimed her wand and launched a ring at the silver knight.

The captain of the guard jumped away from Roy and sliced the ring in half. She strafed around Roy, her sword lowered.

Roy batted his fist at her.

The captain of the guard stamped his tail in response.

"Minerva that's enough. He's just a kid." Peach tried to pull the knight back, but the captain pushed her away.

"Let him go." Wendy seethed.

Wendy focused an energy blast from her wand. Three flaming balls of magic energy corkscrewed towards the captain of the guard.

Minerva forced Peach aside. She swiped at the energy with her sword. The balls of energy split apart and a net of energy surrounded Roy's opponent.

Wendy squeezed her wand. The net squeezed tight. A low static hum filled the air.

The knight gasped in agony. Sparks flashed forth from the knight's body. The knight kicked and fought.

Wendy concentrated harder.

The captain of the guard writhed, no longer able to fight back.

Roy reached out and grabbed Wendy's hand. Wendy struggled with his grip but, in the end, she conceded. The energy net disappeared.

Roy shook his head. "If anyone does that bitch in, it's gonna be me."

Roy punched his fists together. Flames scattered from his fists. He took his first step and collapsed to the floor

Wendy reached down and tried to help him to his feet, but his bulk proved too heavy. "We need to get you back to the ship."

Roy attempted to stand, but his legs buckled. "Get off me and grab the queen."

"She's not worth it. We can deal with dad later."

Footsteps caught Wendy's attention. She found Larry behind her. The teen koopaling's chest heaved up and down. His mouth slacked open.

"Stop staring and help me with him." Wendy cried out. Her body strained under Roy's weight.

Larry saw Peach nearby. She knelt beside a silver knight. Her pink gown tattered.

"Forget her Larry." Wendy snapped.

"I," Larry heaved a sigh, "no, Roy can help himself. I'm not going home empty handed."

Larry approached Peach and straightened his back.

Peach glared up at him. "Help your brother Larry. None of this is worth it."

"I can either do this the easy way or the hard way your highness."

Peach smacked the koopaling. Larry's toes dug into the ground. He grabbed her with both his arms and hoisted her over his shoulder. She pounded his back, but it did little to slow him.

He ran away. Wendy slumped beside Roy, warm blood smeared against her arm. She gagged and turned away from the wound."You boys are so stupid."

"He did the right thing," Roy grumbled. "I ain't mad, you shouldn't be."

"We're sitting ducks here, Roy. That brat practically left us to die."

Roy winced and put pressure on the stab wound in his gut. Heat radiated from his gauntlets. His flesh hissed against the flame. The gash sealed. "Always wanted a cool scar."

Wendy loosed an exasperated sigh and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"You need to go back. Ludwig can't wait any longer."

"He'll send someone to get us, else he's not worth following." Wendy sniffled.

A broad shadow cast over Roy and Wendy. She grabbed her wand and jumped to her feet. Sparks showered from the crystal.

Morton raised his hand to stop her.

Wendy lowered her guard, tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Larry came back without you two." Morton leaned over and helped Roy to his feet and propped him against his shoulder.

Wendy trailed their heels, her wand at the ready.

None of the toads bothered to stop them. They were too concerned with assisting their friends in the wreckage. She kept close and propped up Roy when necessary.

Roy and Morton limped up the ramp. Monty moles raced to carry Roy into the breaching bay. Another ran to an intercom and pressed a button. "They're all on board, repeat, they're all on board."

Wendy shoved past him and shouted into the microphone. "Roy's hurt bad, Ludwig."

The mechanical whirring drowned her voice. The breaching bay closed, and for a moment all light faded.

**X-X-X**

"Roy's hurt bad, Ludwig."

Ludwig ran his claws through his hair. "Call Junior again."

"I can't get a hold of him." Light flooded Iggy's face from his console.

"For the love off..." Ludwig bit his tongue and slammed his fist on the armrest.

"Careful with that, it's not tantrum-proof." Iggy peeled his eyes from his console.

Ludwig's rubbed his temples. The moles on deck already reported signs of artillery mounted in the castle fields. He pressed the talk button on his chair. "We'll send someone down after we get this thing airborne. Try to patch him up as best you can. There should be first aid kits down there."

He pressed a few buttons on his chair. The crew in the bridge scrambled to their stations. Ludwig checked the star reactor feed on his monitor. It glowed an angry orange.

"That looks pretty rough Ludwig." Iggy glanced up at Ludwig's monitor from behind.

"We won't make it unless we use the stealth field." Ludwig pointed at the purple eye button.

"It won't last long. The reactor'll lock up before it overloads. "

Ludwig rubbed his temples. He gazed out the bridge window. Ideas flashed about in his head. Black clouds encroached upon the sun and drowned out the light. "Just need enough to time to reach those clouds."

Iggy's brow furled, he adjusted his glasses. "Guess that's better than sitting here." The lanky koopaling pushed himself from his seat and dashed to the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"I can keep the reactor stable. A smart guy like you doesn't need my help to fly this thing do you?"

Ludwig nodded and pressed the purple eye button on his console. "Everyone inside. Stealth mode commencing in thirty seconds."

Iggy threw open the door and bolted.

Ludwig stretched his arms out and popped his back. "Let's get out of here."

The moles and troopas clattered away at their consoles. They barked weather conditions, engine conditions, another called out the stealth mode countdown. The Maelstrom lifted from the ground.

"Uh, Ludwig sir, uh, captain." A panicked koopa-troopa shouted from his console.

"Spit it out."

"There's smoke in the field-"

A crack and boom rocked his ear drums. A cannon ball whizzed past the bridge window and smashed into the ground below. Ludwig licked his lips and squeezed his seat.

"Stars, stealth mode better hurry up."

"Fifteen seconds sir."

The Maelstrom aimed towards the clouds. Ludwig gripped the wheel stationed at his seat and steadied the ascent. His muscles ached from tension.

"Ten seconds."

Another explosion shook the air. Ludwig counted backward: "three-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, one-one-thousand."

The familiar emptiness engulfed his body. Lights dimmed around him. A cannon ball whizzed into the Maelstrom's window and through Ludwig's head. A chill licked his spine. The cannonball fazed right through the hull and out the other side.

"St-steady on." Ludwig fought back whimpers and checked Iggy on the monitors.

The koopalings face obscured by a blast shield. The orange shifted to yellow now. Iggy and a pair of moles twisted valves open and tightened others.

"Hang in there Iggy." Ludwig stared towards the sky. The black nimbi flashed lightning. Ludwig switched on the intercom. "Brace yourselves crew, we're taking on a storm."

The Maelstrom approached the black. Furious winds fazed through the spectral ship. Rain trickled from the outside and fazed through their bodies. A wave of frigid air surrounded Ludwig. The storm's obvious challenges left them unaffected, for that Ludwig prayed silent thanks.

An alarm buzzed in Ludwig's ear. Red lights flashed in the bridge. Ludwig fumbled with his monitors: Iggy and the moles inched away from the reactor.

"We're losing stealth mode sir."

Ludwig switched to the hull camera - sure enough, the spectral ship returned to a corporeal form. His legs numbed. They pressed further into the storm.

"Don't stop. We're almost clear." Ludwig squeezed the wheel. "We're almost-"

Lightning reached out and seized the Maelstrom. A furious blow from the heavens. Ludwig turned to his screen, white light smothered the display. "Shit."

A piercing shriek assaulted his eardrums. The entire crew fell to their knees. Ludwig's skin prickled. His insides twisted. He slipped from his chair to the floor.

White light engulfed them all.

Ludwig's awoke to a mouthful of carpet. The emergency red lights flicked on and illuminated the room. He pushed himself from the floor. His guts writhed inside of him. He fought his throat, but the sick came too fast.

He wiped his lips and lay on the ground. A haze encircled his head. He managed a few terse words. "We're alive?"

"Captain. You need to see this." A koopa-troopa leaned over him.

Ludwig's knees buckled as he rose to his feet. He followed the troopa through the consoles and pressed against the window. The eldest koopaling squinted through the rain. Another ship's shadow loomed in the clouds.

 


	3. Useful Idiots

### **Chapter 3: Useful Idiots**

Scattered consciousness emerged from the pure light. Kidnapped, not for the first time. Not for the last. A horrible creature lurked in the bleakest eastern hills. It awaited her.

A woman in a tattered pink gown stirred. Plush blankets pressed against her back. She forced herself from the bed and tumbled to the floor face first. She dug her nails into the carpet and shoved herself to her feet. Her knees buckled and clicked.

Rain pattered an erratic beat. She wandered the room and dragged her nails across the wall. The manicured tips chipped.

"This is real. I'm real." Her voice lilted. Her tongue weighed her chin down.

A koopaling lay face down on the floor. His tail twitched. The colors in his skin shifted: first green, next abyssal white, then green again.

The woman knew the creature, a memory of a memory echoed his name. He brought her to this room. "Lar-ry." She jabbed the creature with her foot.

"Who you callin-" He looked up. His irises flickered. "You can call me whatever you want."

The woman's cracked a smile. The corners of her lips pulled too tight. It hurt.

The koopaling twitched. He scanned the room. "Stars, I should've picked a better room to pass out in. Too much pink."

She crouched and leaned close enough to feel his breath on her skin. "Larry is your name, isn't it?"

"No offense lady, but you've mistaken me for someone else." He scooted away, but she crawled towards him. Her wrists clicked.

"Tell me, what is your purpose here."

The koopaling licked his teeth. His fingers vibrated. "Picked up some broad, dragged her here, we're taking her to...to dad." His jaw dropped. His pupils dilated.

"Of course. You remember now." The woman laughed. It rang hollow. Fake. "And your name's Larry."

"Get it through your skull, my name isn't-"

The woman's mouth set in a hard line. Her eyes blazed with rage. The koopaling recoiled.

"Alright, you got me." The koopaling eked a hesitant laugh. "That name's stupid though. Larry's stupid. Call me, eh, Cheatsy."

"Wow, come up with that just now?" The woman's smile returned. She spared him a few inches of space and sat on the floor.

"Better than Larry." Cheatsy rubbed his fingertips together. "What do I call you? I remember the name 'Peach.'"

She put a finger to her chin and jutted her head to the side an inch too far. "Hum. If we're picking names I think I like..." her eyelid twitched. "...her Majesty, Queen Amanita."

" Queen Amanita." Cheatsy savored the name. "It's got a nice ring to it."

"Doesn't it just?"

The broken queen approached the porthole and pushed her face against the glass. Thunder clapped in the storm. The flash illuminated a nearby ship.

"Oh. We've neighbors." Her eyes gleamed. An image flashed in her mind's eye. A koopaling like Cheatsy, but different. His hair clean and managed. A blue star tattooed on the back of his head.

Beside him, a pathetic princess. Stolen from her kingdom. A kingdom that no longer trusted her. A kingdom that no longer respected her. "She's there."

"Lady..." Cheatsy bit his tongue, "your majesty, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"I say we go for a walk," she approached the door, "I'd love to meet the crew of this fine vessel."

Cheatsy's lips sputtered. A wheezy giggle parted his lips. "It's just my idiot brothers. They won't be much help."

"I'll be the judge of that." Amanita threw open the door and fumbled into the hall. Her posture straightened as she walked. Her leg's carried her body with an growing air of confidence.

Idiots or not, they just needed to be useful.

**X-X-X**

Larry squeezed his knees to his chest. Dull pains prodded his temples. A warm sensation trickled down his nose. He dragged his forearm over his upper lip. A crimson streak stained his skin. "Great, just great." Larry covered his nostril and heaved himself to his feet.

Darkness surrounded him. He waved his free hand in a broad arc. His fingers brushed against the wallpaper. He guided himself with the wall and came to a light switch. He flicked it up. Nothing. Larry flicked the switch down again. "Power's out."

He fumbled around the room until his low-light vision adjusted.

Peach lay on the bed. Her arm draped on her forehead. She whined in her semi-conscious state.

Larry bent over her. "Peach?"

Her eye cracked open. She flinched in his presence and covered her mouth. "You're bleeding!"

"Just a nosebleed." Larry tottered away from Peach. He wrenched open a linen closet. Rose tinted towels lay before him in neat folded stacks. He plucked a towel from the top of the pile and pressed it on his nostril.

The queen swung her legs over the side of the bed and propped herself on the nightstand.

Larry reached out to steady her.

She shoved him away.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Larry said.

"You wrecked my home, ruined my kid's birthday, paralyzed my husband, shuttled me into a thunderstorm, and now my head feels ready to explode. You've helped enough."

Larry was taken aback. He scratched the back of his head and winced. "Come on Peach, I'm just following orders."

Peach forced herself to her feet and lurched beyond Larry.

"Slow down there, you're still a prisoner."

Peach bent at her knees and laid her head against a wall. She choked a dry cough into her arms. "You saw that flash. Something's wrong."

The koopaling sniffled, the towel tickled his nose. He cracked open the door and peeked. Crimson emergency lights illuminated sparse sections of the hallway. The contours of a mole or two strolled in the distant dark.

"You may be right," Larry shut the door, "but that doesn't mean you can just waltz out of here."

Peach pushed off the wall and grabbed for the handle.

Larry blocked her and pressed his back against the door. "Peach, you need to stay here."

"Sorry in advance."

"Excuse me?"

She kneed him between the legs. Larry keeled over, his eyes bulged. She threw open the door and hurried into the dark. She kicked off her heels for better mobility and sprinted.

Larry gasped for breath. His guts churned. He tripped through the door and bumped his head on the metal wall. "Peach, get...get back here."

He jogged into the dark. Peach's figure dashed ahead. Her pale skin luminous in the low light. She tripped on her gown and dropped to her knees. She hustled to her feet and stumbled around a corner.

Larry skidded around the corner. Peach remained still. Her hands cupped her lips.

Roy's body lay against the wall. His head slumped over and his arms limp at his sides.

Larry's eyes welled up. His fingers twitched. "No no no."

Peach crouched beside Roy and put her hand to his chest. Her breath slowed. Roy snapped to attention and grabbed her arm. His deformed black sclera tinctured red in the emergency light. He bared his white fangs.

She yelped and tugged her arm away from Roy. She lost her balance and fell on her back. Even in the dark, Larry saw her terrified visage.

Roy gasped for breath. His faint gray irises slithered left and right. "P-Peach?"

"The one and only." She pushed herself up and set her back against the wall opposite Roy.

Roy moaned. "I saw the light and I thought for sure I was done for."

"Maybe we're all dead. I saw that light too." Larry mumbled. Maybe all of this was his mind constructing memories in his dying moments. He shivered at the thought and tried to banish the unease from his head.

"I wouldn't be hurting this bad if I was dead." Roy prodded his dressed wound. The tape that fastened the cloth to his skin upended in several spots. Roy smoothed the tape down, but the adhesive was spent. "Surprised Wendy got this thing on in the first place. She couldn't even look at the wound."

Color returned to Peach's cheeks. "Goodness. She's still squeamish? I remember when you guys were little, she about passed out when Lemmy cut his foot open on a rock."

"Oh yeah. We had to help carry her inside along with Lemmy." Roy chortled. Roy's brow drooped. He laid his head against the wall. "We're all scared of at least one dumb thing out there."

The trio marinated in the dismal silence.

Larry spoke, if only to preserve his sanity. "Hey Roy," Larry fidgeted with the bloodied towel on his face. "Sorry about, you know."

Roy's brows drew together. "The mission's first priority, you did it right."

Larry nibbled his bottom lip. He heard the fall in Roy's tone. Larry knew his older brother's disappointment. He wore it often.

Larry avoided Roy's gaze and faced Peach. She lay against the wall, her pensive gaze stared through the floor. She adjusted her gown and sniffled.

"Roy?" Wendy's voice echoed down the hall.

"We're here Wendy," Larry called out.

Her light footfalls clicked. She approached the group with a duffel bag draped over her shoulder. Her face obscured in the dim light.

"Thank the Seven Stars, you're okay." Larry reached out to her.

Wendy shoved past him and crouched beside Roy. She eased the bag to the floor and unzipped. "Sorry that took so long, there was this-"

"Light." Roy nodded.

"Yeah. Next thing I know I'm flat on my back and my bones felt like jelly." Wendy lifted a vial of ruby red potion. She pried the cork off with her claws. Bubbles fizzled over the top. Wendy set the medicinal potion in Roy's hand.

Roy tilted the bottle to his maw and downed the viscous liquid. He heaved, but managed to hold it down. "Fake cherry, my favorite."

Wendy ignored the sarcastic remark and undressed Roy's wounds. The white cloth stained black with dried blood. She shielded her eyes and reached into the duffel bag. She pulled out a thick pad of cloth and a glass bottle of clear liquid.

Her fingers trembled.

Larry shuddered at the open wound. A sucking gorge in his bicep. The exposed tissue glistened.

Peach crawled beside Wendy. She grabbed the fresh dressing and bottle. "Here. Let me."

Wendy opened her lips to protest, but Peach shushed her.

Peach rinsed her hands with the contents of the bottle. Then she poured the liquid on the gash. The liquid seeped into the wound, foam filled the gaps. His forearm tightened. He focused on Peach.

"Where'd you find her?"

"Hm?" Peach pressed the thick patch of cloth onto his gash.

"The lady who busted my glasses."

"Minerva, you mean. She came to me looking for work." Peach undressed the next wound and set to work. "Not as the captain of the guard, but a humble baker."

Roy snickered. "So she learned that fancy swordplay from cutting cakes all day."

"For all I know, that's true." Peach fastened tape over another wound. "She never told us about her other talents. She 'demonstrated' one day when a bandit forced entry into the servants quarters."

Peach wiped the sweat from her forehead and cupped her hand under Roy's chin. She twisted his head for a better look at his cheek. A purple bruise marred his face. She trickled a pinch of clear liquid over the laceration. "Mario suggested we put a sword in her hands and sign her up for the royal guard."

"And the rest is history." Roy rubbed his arm.

"I never knew she'd do something like this."

"Mario put me in pretty bad shape a couple of times in the past, and you don't seem to mind him." Roy leaned his head against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

"Mario never intends to kill you." Peach tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sometimes being left alive feels worse," Roy rubbed the seared flesh on his abdomen, "a lot worse."

The two other koopalings rotated towards Peach. Larry hunted for a fresh patch of the towel to dry his nose. Wendy leaned over her knees.

"He wouldn't have to retaliate if you and your kind didn't barge into my home and steal me away at the behest of your wretched father.

Again, silence. The koopalings avoided her accusatory glare. Larry coughed into his shoulder. "Maybe we should meet up with the others. It's too quiet here."

"Roy's in no condition to be traipsing around." Wendy zipped up the duffel bag closed. "No thanks to you, of course."

Larry's cheeks burned. "This isn't the time Wendy."

"You go ahead and find the others. We're not going anywhere."

Roy growled and forced his body from the floor. He supported his weight with the wall. His shoulders stooped. "Enough!"

Wendy and Larry jumped at his outburst.

"You're right Larry," Roy bared his teeth and coughed, "the others are probably worried sick."

"Roy, if this is about your pride..."

"Wendy's right too." Roy raised a finger to stop Wendy. "I don't know how far or long I can walk. We can't just search the whole ship."

Larry's pupils rolled to the upper left corner of his eye socket. He struggled to picture the layout of the ship. "I think everyone would gravitate towards the bridge. I mean Iggy and Luddy are probably there right now."

"That's all the way on the other side of the ship." Wendy threw up her arms.

Larry scratched his neck. There were two routes. One below deck, but the dark network of halls left too much room to get lost. "We can take the deck. It's a straight shot from there."

Roy grunted a quiet affirmative and limped along the wall. Wendy hoisted her duffel bag of medical supplies and offered her shoulder to Roy. He sighed and leaned a fraction of his weight on her, just to humor his concerned sister.

Larry looked to Peach.

"I'm coming." Peach stepped in front of Roy and tailed Larry.

The group edged close to the wall, their hands groped through the dark. Footsteps echoed in the void of silence. Larry hooked around a corner, a short flight of stairs ended at a hatch.

Rain drummed a hollow chant against the metal.

Larry twisted the lever and shoved the hatch open. Water splashed his face and soaked his hair. Frigid air slithered through him and seized his bones. He grimaced and shut the door.

The small group marched towards the bridge. Peach hugged herself tight and shivered. Roy grabbed her arm and tugged her beside him and Wendy. His broad frame blocked the wind and rain.

A shadow loomed in the misty gray clouds. Angular and broad, with a long pointed nose. Roy halted the march. "You see that?" Roy pointed over the starboard side.

"It's another ship." Larry shielded his eyes from the rain. "Ludwig must've called in back up."

"No way they'd get here that fast." Fierce wind blasted Wendy's bow from her head. Roy snatched it from the air and handed it to his sister. The cloud cover waxed and hid the aircraft.

"It might be one of yours, Peach," Larry said.

"Nah, they would've attacked by now." Roy popped his knuckles. "Maybe Ludwig knows who they are."

"Let's go ask him then, I'm freezing." Larry tramped over the decking. The circle of blood on his nostril dribbled down his face. He twisted the water from his towel and mopped the blood from lips.

They trekked further to the glass dome. Mist encircled the structure. The brass locking wheel shimmered in the gloom.

Larry entered first, his sopped hair dribbled water onto the carpet. Damp footprints trailed behind him. The familiar sight of koopa-troopas and monty moles lifted Larry's spirits. Idle chatter filled the air. Electric lanterns emitted fluorescent hues.

The other three shuffled to the meeting table. Wendy dropped her bag on the table and eased into a chair. Roy took his usual seat and cradled his head in his own forearms. Peach crawled into a chair and straightened her back, her hands stacked in her lap.

Larry peeked around the captain's chair. He sidled around a deep stain in the carpet and called out Ludwig's name. No response. A tired eyed koopa lifted his head from his console.

"You just missed him. He's at the reactor." The koopa said.

Larry dragged his claws through his hair and slumped over Ludwig's seat. "Do you know what happened?"

"Not exactly." The koopa sipped at a foam cup. "We pushed the reactor too hard, that's all the captain told us before he left."

Lightning flashed in the windows. Larry's attention snapped to the stimuli. The other ship appeared in the clouds. It was closer now. He managed to make out a cluster of shapes aboard her deck.

The crew and koopalings pressed their faces against the windows. Larry squinted. Among the figures, he recognized stark pink head. "That looks like you, Roy."

His exposed eyes watered. "And I'd swear that's Luddy, I'd recognize that blue mop anywhere."

Larry rubbed his eyes and stared again. Cannons primed with grappling hooks protruded from the side of the ship. The color drained from his face. "One of 'em looks like-"

"Peach." Wendy's eyes widened.

Sparks jettisoned from the rear of their cannons. The four-pronged hooks soared overhead, a chain fastened to each. They crashed onto the deck and dragged along the surface. Metal screeched and wood splintered until the hooks snagged. The chains tautened.

The Maelstrom swayed portside, the bridge's inhabitants fumbled into each other. Larry grabbed a console and steadied his feet. The enemy ship drew ever closer.

They stopped mere feet from touching. Seven figures hopped aboard the Maelstrom. A human woman, three short koopalings and three big ones. Moles poked their heads above deck through service hatches. A big wild-haired koopaling brandished a wand and launched a flaming orb at the moles.

A pillar of flames erupted on deck. Monty moles scattered in all directions. The three larger koopalings remained on deck and rounded up the moles.

Larry's jaw clenched. Blood rushed to his head. Wendy's voice brought him back to reality.

"Roy, we need to get going, these guys mean business."

Roy hobbled back from the window. Wendy hustled to a staircase. Peach followed after the two koopalings. The bridge crew hurtled down the stairs and deep into the ship.

Roy growled and pressed his hand against the bandaged gash on his arm. His knees shuddered. "Just get out of here Wendy. I'll only slow us down."

"Roy, we're not going through this again."

Larry drew his lower lip between his teeth. He imagined a fireball immolating his siblings as they navigated the Maelstrom's halls. He pursed his lips and attempted to straighten his back. "I can hold them off, maybe long enough for you guys to find someplace safe."

Roy's nose wrinkled. "You? Larry, they'll chew you up. Don't be stupid."

"Yeah you're better off running." Wendy glared. "You're good at that."

Larry's fists clenched. "That is it! I've had it with you people today. Roy, drag your limp tails down those stairs before I kick you down."

"Sheesh kid, calm yourself." Roy held his hand up.

"Get moving!"

Roy stumbled backward to Wendy. She grabbed his arm and lead him down stairs. Peach followed behind. She stopped and called Larry's name. He faced her.

"Try not to get yourself killed. I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just go." Larry's unhooked his zapper dragoon pistols from his hips. Peach hobbled down the stairs. His gut twisted inside him. "Stars, don't let me die. Please don't let me die." He crept to the door. His nerves buzzed in his ears.

He twisted the door open and charged into the rain, dragoons raised.

**X-X-X**

Ludwig drummed his claws on the reactors cage. He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "It's still not drawing power from the star."

Iggy slipped a wrench over a bolt and cranked it. Steam hissed at the joint of another pipe. Iggy gasped and twisted another nearby bolt. The vapor eased. The reactor pulsated and hummed. "I think we need to face it: we're not going to make it out of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"No." Ludwig punched the wall. "We're this close." He pinched his fingers and held them to his eye. His upper lip twitched. "This is Junior's fault. He left his high and dry at the worst possible moment. I bet he's on his way home right now, ready to surprise Bowser with the terrible news."

"Don't hate me for this Luddy, but it's kind of your fault too."

A fire lit in Ludwig's eyes, he grabbed Iggy and pinned him. Iggy kicked at Ludwig's stomach, but they glanced off his paunch. Ludwig's nostrils flared.

"What I mean to say, Ludwig, is tha-" Iggy gagged and clawed at Ludwig's thick forearm, "is that you hinged part of your plan on an unreliable person." Ludwig's grip eased, Iggy sucked a mouthful of air. "I'm angry at him too, but what did you expect?"

Ludwig blinked twice. He dropped Iggy. A pang of guilt needled his gut. A muscle in his jaw twitched. Volumes of repressed anger boiled in his blood. He drew a lungful of air and pressed it through his nostrils.

A nerve cracked.

He roared and punched the wall. Pain seared his knuckles. He pounded the wall again. Tears blurred his vision. He punched the wall over and over. The protective scales on his knuckles bent out of shape, a fresh bruise swelled on the tender flesh beneath. He looked at his hand and rubbed the swollen flesh.

"It's not the end of the world." Iggy inched back from Ludwig and remained far from striking range. "We can think of something."

"They're going to lock us up in their dungeons for a long time. Bowser's not coming back for us." Ludwig seethed. His eyes glistened. "I ruined us Iggy."

"Save a temper tantrum for your jail cell, I'm sure you'll have a hole in the wall in no time." Iggy grinned but faltered halfway. His arms dropped to his sides.

Ludwig's head slumped against the dented wall. He dragged his aching hand through his hair. "The emergency power isn't going to last long, is it?"

"Our fair lady will have to touch ground within the next few hours." Iggy exhaled a melancholy sigh.

Every eye in the castle would see the Maelstrom's descent. He wagered the Mushroomian defense would hold their fire: no sense in blasting their monarch to pieces. He envisioned the crowds, lines of spectators there to witness his colossal failure. Yet another disgraceful chapter under Ludwig's leadership. His brow creased. "I have an idea."

"Let's hear it." Iggy adjusted his glasses.

"It's not much better than being captured, I suppose, but we can take off in the lifeboats. All eyes will be on the Maelstrom while we make our escape. Then it's just a matter of getting to the border."

"We're not getting very far with Queen Toadstool."

"Forget about her. We'll drop her off with a lifeboat and let her go." Ludwig waved his hand dismissively. "It'll be a miracle if half of us make it to the border without the added risk of smuggling their monarch out of the country."

Iggy stroked his chin. "Hey, it's worth a shot. "

"Have the crew spread the word about our plan." Ludwig opened the reactor room door. "I'll try and get the intercom working again, but I doubt I'll make meaningful progress with the little time we have left."

"Will do." Iggy followed Ludwig out the door.

Ludwig strode down the hall. His mussed hair ruffled with his gait. He stroked his bruised knuckles and winced.

A squat figure stood alone in the dark. He wore his hair in a tall slicked back mohawk. Ludwig praised his luck and bumped his stride to a jog. "Larry, come here, I need your help."

The Maelstrom jerked. Ludwig slammed to the side. Iggy crashed into his gut and knocked the wind out of him. The crimson emergency lights flickered.

The figure disappeared into the dark. Ludwig winced and shoved Iggy off him. "Larry wait." Ludwig gasped for air. Concussive blasts rattled the ship. Ludwig rubbed his sore ribs. No way the Mushroomers could hit them with such poor sight-lines. But then, who else could it be. Ludwig's eyes widened. "The other ship!"

"Other ship?" Iggy rose to his feet and dusted his legs.

Ludwig dragged himself to his feet and ran down towards the service hatch.

"Ludwig, wait." Iggy chased after him.

The brothers poked their heads above deck. Fireballs scorched the wood surface. The metal reinforcement boiled red. Ludwig's eyes followed the carnage, a replica of the "Maelstrom" was tethered to the side of the ship by grappling hooks.

"It wasn't an illusion." Ludwig panted. Rain and sweat swirled down his forehead.

"Ludwig you're freaking me out," Iggy shouted over the storm and chaos.

Ludwig tackled Iggy to the floor. A fireball soared overhead and exploded into a cluster of smaller embers. One landed on Iggy's arm. He gasped and pat it out.

"When I first woke up after the reactor failed, the crew saw an outline of another ship in the clouds. I wrote it off as some sort of residual shadow from the flash." Ludwig's eyes shifted erratically. He brushed the wet hair from his eyes.

"Wait does that mean..."

A shrill cackle filled the air. Ludwig and Iggy covered their ears. A pained cry drowned the rainfall.

Ludwig and Iggy faced each other. "Larry!"

Ludwig peered out of the service hatch and tried to make sense of what he saw. Three figures surrounded Larry. All displayed familiar features: a pink head, a star birthmark, wild blue hair. Their bodies blurred out of focus, and yet Larry's remained crisp. Ludwig blinked, and they were normal.

"The hell..." Ludwig rubbed his eyes.

Larry lay on his back. His pistols kicked out of his reach. A swollen bruise on his cheek.

The apparent ringleader, a stocky koopaling with a wild mane of blue hair, aimed his wand at Larry. Fierce azure fire formed at the tip. A crowd of monty moles sat on their knees, claws behind their heads. "Oh, that was something alright. You sure showed us, kid. Those peashooters sure were cute." He capped the sentence with another cackle, a shrill string of syllables that tortured the eardrums.

"Stars...he's even more annoying than you." Iggy's muzzle wrinkled. "Please kill him."

"You first." Ludwig glared at Iggy.

"I would, but, noodle arms." Iggy wiggled his limbs.

Ludwig rolled his eyes and climbed from the service hatch. He clenched his fists and trudged towards the gaggle of 'copycat koopalings.' The Roy-clone elbowed the Morton-clone and pointed at Ludwig.

"Oh boy here comes a new challenger. A perfect match-up for Kooky. Dare I say it's his missing half. The other side of the coin, if you will. He looks like a loser Kooky, I'm sure you can take him. Just don't get too cocky because the cocky one always loses in the-"

'Kooky' smacked the Morton-clone. "Shut it." Kooky coughed into his elbow and slicked back his hair. A wild grin on his lips. "Well, what do we have here. The omega to my alpha. This could be fun."

Ludwig folded his arms and eyeballed the wand. The flame sizzled in the rain. "I don't know what plane of existence excreted you, but I will not tolerate some malformed maniac disrespecting my crew or my family."

"I'd just like a word with the captain of your vessel. Maybe you can point me to him."

"Get off my ship."

"So eager to die, I love it." Kooky aimed the wand and launched the fireball at Ludwig.

Ludwig inhaled a swift breath of air and concentrated. He visualized his Ember. It waxed and flickered. Warmth spread from his chest to his limbs. A white heat brewed in his core. Steam rose from his skin.

The magic fireball blasted Ludwig full force. Fire engulfed the koopaling. Wind scattered the thick smoke. The air stank of sulfur and brimstone.

Kooky reeled back, his maw twisted with laughter. He smacked his knee and turned to Larry. "Been waiting to try that move."

"It was just a bigger fireball than the last one." The Roy clone jeered.

"Zip it or you're next ." Kooky pointed the wand

"Hey, dumbass." The light cleared. Ludwig remained unscathed and his arms folded. Smoke billowed from his lips and nostrils. A low fog pooled around his ankles.

"This thing broken or something." Kooky banged his wand on the ground.

Ludwig touched the tips of his claws together and spread them. A royal blue fireball manifested in his palm. "I'm giving you one last chance."

"I see." Kooky's eyelid twitched. "Hey, let's test baby brother's luck too." Kooky giggled and aimed the wand at Larry.

Ludwig and Larry exchanged a glance. Ludwig lowered his hand, but kept the flame alight. The crowd of mock-koopalings cheered.

"I'll cut you a deal. You give us Queen Toadstool, and we shall spare your lives."

Ludwig closed his hand. His flame disappeared."I have your word?"

"Course you do. I always hold my ends of bargains. Life's simpler that way." Kooky inspected his claws and casually stirred his wand in the air. A new fireball followed the tip.

Ludwig closed his hand and snuffed the flame. He scratched the stubble on his chin and shrugged. "Guess I have no choice but-" Ludwig opened his palm, his magic flame exploded in size. He feinted forward towards Kooky.

Kooky shrieked and launched his fireball at Larry. Ludwig twisted his free hand and intercepted it with a fire ball of his own. The two collided midair and exploded. Then he hurled another one at his psychotic counterpart.

Kooky ducked beneath the fireball.

Ludwig jogged up to Kooky and swiped at him with flaming claws.

Kooky yelped and tumbled back.

Ludwig roared. A plume of smoke spilled from his lips. Flames crawled from Ludwig's maw and engulfed Kooky's arm.

Kooky wagged his arm and screamed. He dropped to the ground and rolled. "Firebreath! That's cheating."

The other mock-koopalings looked to their leader, then to Ludwig.

"Stop gawking at him and tear his head off." Kooky seethed from the ground.

The Roy and Morton clones inched forward. Ludwig opened his mouth and sprayed molten liquid onto the ground. It adhered to the deck and erupted into an infernus wall. The clones leaped out of the licking flames' reach.

"Easier said than done, my medium-well sibling. My skin's just a tad too sensitive to all this fire magic going on and-"

"Shut it, Bigmouth." The Roy clone snapped.

"Bigmouth. How apt." Ludwig focused his attention on the two of them. "What are you then? Jock, Pinkhead, Shades?"

"Bully, ya smartass."

"My deepest condolences, whoever named you is an idiot." Ludwig prepped another fireball. "I'm still feeling generous. I'm going to count to five and if you're still here, I will roast you alive."

Bigmouth and Bully inched back.

Ludwig's body seized. Balefire exploded from his maw. His knees spasmed and he crumbled to the ground. A purple orb jutted from his side and spewed electrical energy. Ludwig struggled against his stiffening joints.

A barefoot blond woman in a tattered gown wielded Lemmy's superscope. She aimed and pulled the trigger again. The firing mechanism clicked. "Cheap trash." She dropped the gun and sashayed towards Ludwig. Two more koopaling clones stood behind her: smaller ones with rainbow colored mohawks.

They dragged the real Lemmy along the ground. His body wrapped in a bedsheet and bound with rope. He wriggled against his bonds to no avail.

Kooky's jaw tremored. He tip-toed towards Ludwig and tapped the stunned koopaling's muzzle with his wand. Ludwig snarled and raised his arm to swipe. His elbow locked. Ludwig tumbled forward, his face planted on the ground.

"Heh, heh," Kooky kicked Ludwig's face. His terse grunts devolved into a maniacal laugh. He whirled in a circle and kicked Ludwig's stomach.

Ludwig's gut seized and his maw opened. Thick orange guck spilled from his lips and splattered on the ground. It bubbled in the rain. The Maelstrom's decking crackled and burned. Kooky squealed and tripped back.

"D'aw, someone can't hold his Ember." Amanita paced Ludwig.

"Peach?" Ludwig wheezed. His vision wavered. He belched smoke and gagged.

"My, this one's a real winner: fat and stupid." She kicked Ludwig's stomach and forced him onto his back. "Get comfortable with the name Amanita, Peach is going away someday soon. "

He heaved twice. Sparks erupted from his mouth. His body shivered.

"Any sign of the others?" Amanita turned towards Kooky.

"No, your highness." Kooky clasped his hands and bowed. "We found the smaller one and these moles on deck. He found us." Kooky pointed at Ludwig.

"But no queen Toadstool, what a shame." Amanita crouched beside Ludwig. She pinched his cheek, her nails dug into his skin. "It's like a fairytale. A fair maiden trapped in a maze guarded by four horrible beasts. Might you have a hint for us, a word of advice if you will, Tubs?"

Ludwig's brow puckered. "Yes. I've a few four letter words you might-" his eyes widen and he retched. He hacked up another pile of molten Ember. Amanite released his cheek and tipped away.

"How crass." Amanita shook her head.

"Perhaps we could coax it out of them with gentle prodding. Of course, when I say gentle, I'm being sarcastic. I mean to say-"

"Bigmouth, I get it." Amanita cooed. "You remain with the prisoners and do your worst. Be sure to tell your bratty sister about all the fun she missed."

"Affirmative your majesty, you will have your answers in no time at all."

"You two, we're going below deck." Amanita gestured for Kooky and Bully to follow. "Hip, Hop: be a couple of dears and help Bigmouth with his work."

"Of course, your majesty." Hip, the Lemmy lookalike, grabbed his brother's hand. The shy one resembled Iggy with his once rainbow mowhawk.

"Let's get to work, boys." Amanita and her crew dispersed.

**X-X-X**

Iggy watched the Peach clone and two of the bigger guys dropped below decks. The remaining few rounded up the prisoners. Iggy crawled up the hatch and crept along the deck. His green hair flopped over his face in a wet veil. He bunched his hair up and slicked it back. "Where's a hair tie when you need one?" He hissed to himself.

He crouched behind a crate and listened.

"You, monty moles, lift that one. I very well can't on account of his physique and while I am ashamed to ask for your help in the matter, I am inclined to fry anyone who disobeys. Now hurry up."

Iggy leaned past the corner.

The moles skittered around Ludwig and lifted in tandem. His claws dragged along the ground. Iggy pursued them at a safe distance.

The smaller koopalings dragged Lemmy along the ground by a rope. Lemmy's muffled cries made Iggy wince. "I'm coming buddy."

Iggy watched them enter the safety of the bridge. He drew a deep sigh. "That way's out of the question." He shuffled across the deck and clambered down a hatch.

He slipped below deck and strained his ears in the sweeping dark. If he learned anything from his previous encounter, he would hear the freaks long before he saw them. Content with the silence, Iggy advanced.

He studied familiar reference points in the dark. His mind's eye conjured the Maelstrom's blueprint. He followed a length of yellow pipe down the corridor until he reached a "T" intersection.

He rounded the corner and followed the right. His claws clicked and echoed through the dark. "No, no. Too loud." He whispered to himself. He rolled his heel along the floor, he took care not to let his claws clatter. Perfect.

"It's all in the calves," Lemmy told him once. His 'sneaky walk' was an integral tool to get the jump on his unsuspecting brothers or even Bowser on some occasions. The little twit even managed to beat Roy's refined sense of hearing.

Iggy sighed. His calves ached. He resumed his normal walk to conserve energy. The final length of the hallway before the bridge stretched before him. It dawned on Iggy that he had no means to actually defeat the Morton clone.

The armory was out of the question: it was on the other side of the ship and he ran the risk of running into more goons.

Wandless casting? Yeah right. He saw what happened when Ludwig used his own body as a catalyst and he was practiced in the art.

He tapped the thick of his skull with his knuckle. "Think, Iggy, think." He paced his narrow strip. He needed something to level the playing field. Ranged weapon preferred.

He noticed a fire-extinguisher hooked to the wall. A grin twisted his lips. He lifted the weighted canister from the wall. His arms buckled.

"Note to self. Install lighter fire extinguishers." He tugged the pin that locked the triggering mechanism and hoisted it up a flight of stairs. Bigmouth's voice echoed from the bridge.

"...and another thing, I really need you to teach me how you do that cool pyromancy junk. Like, you didn't even need a wand. I about peed myself from excitement when you summoned a flame with just your hands. I promise I'll only pull out that dumb buck tooth and make your face look presentable if you reveal your secrets."

Iggy wrapped his fingers around the discharge lever and hiked up the stairs. The extinguisher clanged against the staircase. Iggy stifled a curse and froze.

"Crud. Is that Amanita? Forget anything you heard about me asking for cool pyromantic skills I just wanted to get buddy-buddy before I pulled the rug out from under-"

Iggy scrambled up the stairs and into the bridge.

Bigmouth sat at the meeting table, Ludwig's half conscious body was laid across the top. The squat mock-koopaling raised his wand, but Iggy squeezed the discharge lever before he managed a spell. A stream of chemical foam spewed from the hose and into Bigmouth's open maw.

Iggy slammed Bigmouth's stomach with the extinguisher. Bigmouth's wand clattered to the floor. Iggy scooped it up, it felt crude and lumpy in his hands.

He aimed it at Bigmouth's chest.

Bigmouth held his hands up. The foam in his mouth gargled out. "You got me I-"

Iggy prodded Bigmouth's face with the wand. "Not another peep, you loquacious lunatic."

Bigmouth nodded and clamped his mouth shut. He gagged on the foam and spit it on the floor. His star birthmark vanished and reappeared.

Iggy edged towards Larry and the rest of the hostages seated with their backs against the wall. He undid Larry's gag and tore his restraints with his pointed claw. Larry gasped and sputtered. "Can't believe you actually pulled that off."

"I'll just take that as a compliment." Iggy rolled his eyes. "Help the others so we can deal with 'discount Morton' here."

Larry nodded and slit the rope restraints on his fellow hostages. The moles wriggled free and surrounded Bigmouth. He raised a hand to swat them, but the moles tackled his limbs.

Larry opened the closet and the moles shoved Bigmouth inside. He banged on the door and shouted. Larry and a few moles crowded the door to hold him in.

"Shoot, he's stronger than he looks."

"We're going to need something heavy to block him in."

All eyes shifted towards Ludwig.

"Don't you...you even think about it." Ludwig hissed.

"Just for a little bit, we can't have him making too much noise." Iggy scooped his arms beneath Ludwig's armpits and tried to tug him off the table. "Little help, please." A squad of moles reached up at Ludwig.

"Sorry captain." One grunted.

"Please don't fire me, I have a wife and kids to feed."

"In my opinion, you'd make a striking barricade sir."

Ludwig shoved the moles back. "At least allow me the dignity of walking myself there." He swung his legs over the side of the table and hobbled. He plopped on the ground and pressed his weight against the door.

"What'd those other ones do with Lemmy?"

Larry ran to the staircase. "They dragged him this way."

"Hoo boy. Why'd it have to be down there?" Iggy clutched Bigmouth's wand to his chest and approached the staircase. "This is going to be risky."

"So's storming a room full of hostages with nothing but a fire extinguisher." Larry shoved past Iggy and hopped down the stairs. Larry's squad of moles followed after.

Iggy gulped and jogged to catch up. He hissed at Larry. "Slow down. You want to get captured again?"

Larry skidded on his heels and tilted his ear to the air. "Shush. I hear voices."

Iggy held his breath. The claustrophobic corridors of the Maelstrom amplified all noise around him. The mole's claws clicking against the metal floors. Their tools jangled on their utility belts.

Then, muffled laughter and a dull thudding sound.

"Yeah, I-"

Larry pressed a finger to his lip and pointed at a cabin door. A stream of light trickled beneath the bottom. The shadows of feet danced in the yellow glow.

Larry and Iggy pressed their backs against the wall and waited on opposite sides of the door. The moles unhooked various tools from their belts and poised them to strike.

Iggy held up three of his claws and mouthed. "Countdown."

The others nodded and tensed.

Iggy counted back with his fingers, and after his index claw dropped, he yanked open the door. The crew flooded in with improvised weapons raised. Orange sparks spilled from the stolen wand in Iggy's hand.

"Freeze punks!" Iggy held his wand in front of him.

Lemmy and the two clones sat in a circle. They plucked chips from a bag set between them. A leather satchel lay on its side at the foot of a bed.

"Like I always say, it's all in the calves." Lemmy chuckled between a mouthful of chips.

"My stuff!" Larry shoved past everyone and grabbed the satchel.

The two smaller koopalings jumped at Larry's sudden presence. The shorter of the two tucked the bag of chips away from Larry. The taller one glared.

Larry clutched his belongings to his chest.

"Hey Stretch" Lemmy grinned. "Just playing meet and greet with a couple of new pals."

"New pals? Lemmy, we need to get out of here." Iggy grabbed Lemmy's arm.

"Slow down there, Stretch." Lemmy slipped out of Iggy's grip. "They're just looking for Peach is all. The boys here explained it nice and clear for me."

Iggy scowled at the clones. Their eyes flickered different colors for a moment. Then reset to normal. Iggy's jaw slacked.

"Yeah I thought that was weird at first, but you just kinda learn to ignore it."

"I see you're ignoring all the crap they put you through too."

"From what I understand, you guys didn't exactly have a warm welcome ready either." Lemmy huffed.

"She forcefully boarded the ship and had her lackeys shoot fireballs at us. What're we supposed to do, bake 'em cookies and lick their boots." Larry snapped.

"This true?" Lemmy put his hands on his hips and looked at the clones.

Hop, the Iggy clone, opened his mouth first, "uh."

"Maybe." Hip, the Lemmy clone, finished and avoided Lemmy's stare.

Lemmy tutted and climbed to his feet. "Come on guys, we said we weren't gonna bend the truth. That causes this thing called 'miscommunication.'"

"Sorry Lemmy."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Speaking of miscommunication, perhaps we've all gotten off on the wrong foot." Lemmy scuffled his heel into the ground. "That lady in charge just needs Peach out of the picture so she can run the Mushroom Kingdom without them asking questions. We were just at the wrong place, at the wrong time."

"Lemmy, they aren't 'people,' they're freak accidents." Iggy dragged his claws along the side of his face. "You saw that...that eye thing. These guys aren't natural. They are not friendly. In fact, they opened fire on our ship the moment they noticed us."

"Whoa, that's not very nice." Lemmy crossed his arms.

"Listen to what you are saying: the Peach clone wants the real Peach out of the picture. You know who else has a freaky clone? Think about it. " Iggy prodded Lemmy's chest with his claw.

Lemmy faced the clones. "Listen to this guy, he's overreacting just a tad, isn't he?"

"Yeah. We'd never replace you, Lemmy." Hip leaned forward. "You're cool."

"Tall guy's a stick in the mud, though. I don't like him." Hop shook his head. "He could do with a replacement."

Iggy flailed his hand at Hop. "He just admitted it."

"Iggy, he's being sarcastic. You of all people should know that. He's you."

"He is not me." Iggy stretched to his full height.

"You know, you're right. He's not much like you at all." Lemmy put his claw to his chin. "You're reminding me of a certain someone right now. Bucktooth, big hair, constant downer..."

Larry butted in "Hey, that 'constant downer' stuck his neck out for me and got zapped by a superscope for his efforts. A superscope you lost."

"Time out. No double teaming." Lemmy made a 'T' with his hands. He grabbed Iggy's arm and pulled his younger brother's face level to his own. He whispered: "Even if they aren't up to any good, we don't need any more enemies right now. Especially since we're technically at their mercy. We've got nowhere to run."

Iggy looked towards the door. "Technically we have one way out."

Lemmy's eyes lit up.

"Why didn't you say so?" Lemmy hissed. "Uh, the bros and I need to talk something out between ourselves." Lemmy smiled at the clones.

Iggy, Larry, and Lemmy approached the door.

Iggy nudged a mole. "Watch them."

The mole nodded.

The trio stepped into the hall and closed the door behind them.

Iggy watched the long dark. His toes twitched. "We don't have a lot of time. The reactor won't draw power from the star and emergency power is burning out as we speak."

"When you said 'way out,' I thought you meant something other than 'death by airship crash.'" Larry hissed.

"Hold on. I-I'm not finished." Iggy peeked around Larry and continued. "Ludwig and I got to thinking. The ship is outfitted with emergency escape ships, 'lifeboats,' Bowser's been pretty adamant about having them installed since the KKS Sepulcher's crash four years back-"

"Skip the lesson, Iggy." Lemmy shook Iggy's arm.

"Sorry, sorry," Iggy's palms glistened with sweat, "the locations were outlined in your 'disaster preparedness' pamphlets."

"The what?" Lemmy said.

"You...didn't read them." Iggy sighed. "They're all on the storage level of the ship."

"Okay. So get to the lower level, hop in an escape pod, land in MK territory and get captured. Genius." Larry scoffed.

"The Maelstrom's descent should distract anyone on the ground long enough for us to land and get a headstart to the MK-Koopa border. I realize that it's a long shot, but I can't think of anything better..."

"Easy, Iggy." Lemmy grabbed Iggy's hand. "I have a better idea."

"No. We are not chumming up to those freaks." Iggy hissed.

"They have a ride home, and if we get on their good side maybe they'll consider dropping us off."

"We're as good as dead the moment they find Peach. She's the only reason they left Ludwig and you alive."

Lemmy wore a disarming smile. "Just trust me, Iggy. I have a feeling I can-"

"What? Win them over with your wit and charm? You're kidding me."

Lemmy's smile cracked. His eyes fell. "Okay, if that's how you want to be. Fine." Lemmy pivoted on his heels and marched to the bedroom door and opened it. "Have fun getting captured by Mushroomers."

Lemmy closed the door and left Larry and Iggy in the dark. Larry bit his bottom lip. "We can't just leave him."

"Can and will." Iggy huffed. "Get your crew together. We'll see if Ludwig's up for a bit of a walk."

Larry nodded slow and looked at the door. A bleak frown on his lips. "Alright, Iggy."

**X-X-X**

Roy steadied his breathing. He closed his eyes and listened. Heavy footfalls rumbled around the corner. Two pairs of big guys. Or something big with four legs. He pressed his back to the wall and held his hand up to stop Wendy. He put a claw to his lips and pointed at the corner.

Wendy nodded and sidled against a wall.

He cradled his injured arm and slipped into a cabin. Wendy followed behind.

Iggy's right-hand-mole, Rocky, and a yellow shelled koopa-troopa sat at a table. Their faces illuminated by candlelight. A spread of playing cards in front of them.

"Come on, stars beats shrooms." The koopa-troopa crossed his arms.

Rocky cleared his throat. "But I've three of shrooms."

"And I've got three stars."

Roy put his ear to the door, the lumbering footsteps grew louder. Roy limped across the room and blew out the candles. Rocky and the koopa began to protest but Roy covered their mouths.

Someone cried out in the hall. "Shoot. Just another dumb mole." Bully's voice echoed.

"Add him to the bunch. We've almost got a full set. " Kooky giggled, then burst into a full-blown cackle.

Their footsteps tread down the hall. A procession of weak footfalls followed. Roy cracked the door a pinch and watched the captured crew. Moles, koopas, no sign of his brothers.

"That's not funny ya moron." Bully shoved Kooky.

Kooky shoved back and scoffed. "I can't help it. It's glandular."

"That's your excuse for damn near everything."

The freaks disappeared around the corner, the prisoners followed.

Roy eased the door closed and sighed. Larry was absent, so he either he bit the dust or he made it out okay. "I think they're gone." Roy approached the table.

Rocky struck a match and lit the candle once again. Roy winced and covered his sensitive eyes. Rocky spoke: "For now. Those numbskulls have looped around that hallway four times by my count."

"I wager they're lost." The yellow shelled koopa nodded. "They'll give up and leave eventually."

Roy rubbed his temples and pulled up a seat. He examined the room. A closet hung open, clean overalls lined the rack. A utility belt dangled from the wall. A paperback book lay on the nightstand beside a picture of six younger moles and Rocky in the middle.

"You haven't seen any others have you?" Roy said.

"Nobody but Konrad here." Rocky dealt cards between him and the koopa. "Not since the reactor overload at least."

"The light..." Wendy paced her corner of the room.

"Aye. The boss and I tried our best to fix the thing, but you saw how that turned out." Rocky scritched his stomach. "One second I'm cranking valves, the next I'm in bed with my guts turning somersaults."

"Master Iggy had a few of us early risers escort some of the unconscious ones." Konrad twirled his wrist. "Figures, we get boarded soon as the power cuts."

"We need to find the others, put our heads together, and maybe we can come up with something." Roy limped to the door. "My brothers might be idiots, but these guys are way worse."

Wendy grabbed his arm. "Roy, look at you, they so much as stare at you hard enough they'll knock you down."

"I can't just shack up here and hope help comes to us."

"Your sister has a point." Rocky chided. "You ought to think about hunkering down someplace safe."

"Those guys'll find us eventually. The only safe places are off this ship, and we don't exactly have the luxury of leaving." Roy rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Rocky and Konrad stared at each other. "Well, there's always the lifeboats."

"Say what?"

"It was in your 'disaster preparedness' pamphlet. Section three? Every cabin had one." Konrad crossed his arms.

Roy glared at Konrad's tone. Rocky waved his hand. "They're little emergency ships. I mean there's not enough fuel to get you too far, but they'll carry you a goodly distance."

"Beats being stuck up here." Wendy nodded. "You guys think you can show us the way?"

Rocky drummed his claws on the table and leaned towards Roy. "If I stick my neck out for you kids, I'd like something in return."

"Why you greedy little-" Wendy opened her mouth. Roy interrupted her.

"Name it."

"I'd like you to negotiate my raise with your brother. I get the feeling he'd listen to a guy like you."

"Deal." Roy shook hands with the mole. It wouldn't be hard, assuming Iggy was not obliterated in the accident.

"Alright Kon, let's blow this joint." Rocky blew out the candles and grabbed his belt off the wall.

Konrad stood from the table and limbered up his arms. "It's going to be quite a walk, you think you handle it?"

"Ever get doused in hot lava and live to tell the tale?" Roy stared at Konrad, nonplussed.

"Right, off we go then."

The four of them left the room and ducked into the hallway. Rocky lead through the dark, his sensitive nose twitched. He scurried through the dark on all fours. His tools clanked.

Roy limped down the hall. Wendy propped him up. The combined weight of her brother and the duffel bag she carried slowed their pace to a crawl.

"Stop. I can walk." Roy grabbed a yellow pipe on the wall and steadied himself.

He imagined freak-one and freak-two around every corner. He hated the fear that welled in his gut. He knew he could trounce those bozos any day of the week, if not for his current condition.

"Watch your step. These stairs are pretty steep." Rocky hoisted open a hatch and waited for the others to follow.

"You first." Konrad stepped aside for Roy. "I'd rather not be crushed if you take a tumble."

Roy grumbled and eased down the steps. He touched bottom and examined his surroundings. There were crates stacked to the ceiling. Food, weapons, spare parts, the whole gamut.

The group followed Rocky to the end of a crate corridor. He stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Rocky pointed at an open hatch. "Heads up, someone's been here."

Wendy raised her wand and stepped up to the front of the group. "I've got this."

Roy sincerely hoped she did. They clambered down the hatch and into the 'lifeboat' dock. Several cylindrical pods lined the walls in neat rows. Roy peeked into one. Yellow cushioned seats wrapped around the edges of the pod in a circle. A pilot's chair stood alone before a computer monitor. Each came with adjustable restraints for the disparate sizes of The Koopa Kingdom's races.

Heavy footsteps against the metal catwalk stole Roy's attention. The pink-faced koopaling pulled his head from the pod and watched the end of the walkway. A broad figure with a mop of blue hair waited at the end.

Wendy aimed her wand. "Back off!"

"Put that away. It's just me." Ludwig called out across the way. He hobbled across the room. Iggy and Larry climbed out of an escape pod nearby. A squad of moles flooded the walkway.

"Boss, you're alright!" Rocky shuffled towards the group.

Roy uttered silent thanks to the stars.

"Glad to see you're in one piece." Ludwig sized up his bandaged brother. "You look like crap."

"You too." Roy wheezed.

The eldest koopaling's hair was a tangled mop of frizz. A red blotch covered his torso on the right side. His cheeks wan and lips stained with a crusted substance.

"Iggy's superscope is a potent weapon, I'll give him that." Ludwig rubbed at his side.

"Sheesh, you sure Lemmy didn't kill the Mario bros?" Roy faced Iggy.

"It hurts, but it is non-lethal. I, uh, tested it myself." Iggy leaned against a pod. "Ludwig also happened to be channeling his Ember without a wand when he got zapped."

"It was pretty badass. He took a fire blast and didn't even flinch." Larry interjected. He tugged at Ludwig's arm and tried to get him on board.

Iggy rolled his eyes. "You know, before he barfed molten Ember on the deck."

"Not my finest moment, I'll admit." Ludwig's brow furrowed

"Way to almost kill yourself." Wendy crossed her arms.

"Still, takes stones." Roy shrugged.

"Wow was that a compliment?" Ludwig raised a brow.

"Yeah don't get used to it." Roy rubbed his wounded bicep. "I take it none of you found Morton."

The room fell silent.

"I'm surprised such a big guy can stay hidden for so long." Iggy frowned. "I almost forgot about him, I've been so wrapped up in getting down here in one piece."

Wendy stepped forward. "We can't leave without him, and what about Lemmy?"

Iggy looked at the floor. "Lemmy's elected to stay with his captors. He's got in in his head that a diplomatic approach can work. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know him. Not too good at listening."

Roy shook his head. "He's from the Koopa Clan alright. Stubborn little punk."

"You're one to talk." Wendy grabbed his good arm. "Come on, let's get you strapped in."

Roy rolled his eyes and ducked into one of the lifeboats. He shuffled into a seat and fumbled with the adjustable seatbelts. Wendy dropped the duffel bag onto the floor and grabbed the restraint.

Roy batted her hands away. "Knock it off. I can still use my arms."

Wendy's hands retreated to her sides. She nodded a terse apology and stepped back. "Alright Ludwig, you next."

Ludwig ducked head beneath the doorway and sat in the seat opposite Roy. He leaned over, his elbows rested on his knees. His expression pensive.

Roy monitored the doorway. Iggy and Wendy stood near the frame.

"Morton's out there somewhere. He didn't leave me behind, I'm not leaving him behind." Wendy put her hands on her hips.

"We can't just leave these guys down here either." Iggy turned to Roy and Ludwig.

"Uh, guys," Larry called from down the walkway.

Iggy and Wendy ignored him.

"Then you stay with them and I'll go look, you spineless twerp."

"Guys!" Larry tackled Iggy to the floor. A bolt of electric energy blasted the wall behind Iggy's head.

Roy unhooked his seatbelt and hobbled to the door. A gangly blue haired figure stood at the end of the walkway. Lightning crackled at the tip of his wand.

"So that's your game. Running away with your tails tucked between your legs." Cheatsy wrapped both his hands around the base of his wand. Bolts of energy scattered forth.

Konrad and Rocky scrambled for a pod, but Cheatsy swatted Konrad. The koopa retreated into his shell armor. Cheatsy electrified the shell with his wand and smacked it into the crowd of moles. The moles blasted in every direction.

Kon." Rocky gasped. He pulled a wrench from his belt and hurled it at Cheatsy. Cheatsy deflected it and slammed Rocky's chest with the tip of his wand. Rocky convulsed and blasted into the hull of a pod.

Iggy aimed Bigmouth's wand. Sparks exploded from the wrong end and singed Iggy's hand. He yelped and dropped the wand.

Wendy brandished her wand and stepped forward.

Larry and Iggy ducked behind her.

"Get in here." Roy reached out to grab Wendy. She smacked his hand.

"I'm not leaving Morton. I can handle this jerk." Wendy launched an energy net at Cheatsy.

Cheatsy tucked his legs to his knees and rolled through a gap in the net. He kicked back onto his feet and launched a lightning ball with a backhanded swipe. Sparks scattered and the ball corkscrewed towards Wendy.

Wendy smacked it back with her own wand.

Cheatsy sidestepped and smacked the lightning ball upwards with an underhanded lob.

Wendy's eyes followed the ball but realized Cheatsy's ploy too late.

The rival koopaling closed the gap between them and blasted her chest with his wand.

Wendy flew back into Iggy, Larry ducked out of the way.

Cheatsy pointed his wand at Larry's neck. "Ah! Hold it."

Larry's hairs stood on end. A static drone filled the air. The lightning ball from earlier descended. Larry backstepped and slammed himself against an undeployed pod.

Cheatsy leaned forward to stop Larry. "I said-"

The lightning ball struck Cheatsy in the back. His knees buckled and his hair flashed colors. Larry tackled Cheatsy into Ludwig and Roy's pod and pounded the doppelganger's face with his fists.

Cheatsy kicked Larry off him and raised his wand.

Ludwig snagged Cheatsy by his greasy mohawk and slammed his head into the wall. Cheatsy's wand discharged and blasted a panel by the door.

The pod doors sealed and the lights flickered on.

Iggy's face pressed against the window. He pounded and shouted: "open the door." His breath fogged the glass.

Larry nodded and looked at the controls. Sparks spewed from the busted buttons. He nibbled on one of his claws and looked at Iggy again. Larry yelled: "It's busted."

Iggy ducked away from the door. Flames erupted against the glass. Iggy brought his head up again and screamed. "Go!"

Larry shoved past Ludwig and his doppelganger to the pod's steering controls. He fumbled with the buttons, but nothing registered. "L-Luddy, I need help."

Ludwig struggled with Cheatsy's hold on the wand. His body still weak from the Ember incident. Roy hobbled over and wrestled with the intruder. Ludwig slipped back and faced Larry. "Prime the engine, red button, upper left."

Larry did so. A low hum emanated through the pod. Cool air vented into the room. The buttons on his control pad illuminated. A window opened in front of Larry to reveal the metal walls of the lifeboat chamber.

Cheatsy pounded Roy's wounds and forced the larger koopaling to retreat. Ludwig grabbed Cheatsy by the throat and slammed him to the ground. He anchored his weight over the koopaling and squeezed.

"What next, what next?" Larry raised his finger over the control pad.

Kooky's face appeared in the window. The wild-haired koopaling grinned at his counterpart. He pressed his wand to the window and blasted the glass.

"Pull the plunger," Ludwig shouted.

"The...the what?"

"Looks like the thing that oof-" Ludwig gasped. Cheatsy dug his clawed toes into Ludwig's middle. The elder koopaling reached down and forced the offending limb away. "That switch you pull to launch a pinball."

Larry reached over and grabbed the green tipped plunger. He yanked it back. The pod lurched. A deep hissing noise surrounded them. A yoke unfolded in front of Larry.

Roy dropped into his seat and strapped in. He turned to Larry. "Buckle up kid."

Larry plopped into the pilot's seat and fixed the buckles over his body. The pod lurched again. Kooky's face disappeared from the window. The pod dropped into free fall.

Ludwig and Cheatsy slammed upwards and crashed into the ceiling. Larry grabbed the yoke, the pod's restraints held him in place.

Raindrops splashed the window. The clouds rushed past them. Larry's teeth grit.

Roy's heart pounded. His eyelids clenched shut. He drew a deep breath and counted out loud to the three. A scream brewed in his throat.

The pod's engines engaged and the craft's descent slowed. Larry steadied the yoke. His knuckles whitened.

Cheatsy dropped from the ceiling first. Ludwig followed. He landed on top of the smaller koopaling.

Larry winced at the thud. He tore his attention from the window. Ludwig rolled off of Larry's doppelganger and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Stars, did you kill him?" Larry gasped.

Cheatsy groaned.

Ludwig hoisted himself onto a seat and fumbled with the straps. "Don't...think so." Ludwig winced and rubbed his ribs.

"Talk about throwing your weight around." Larry grimaced at Cheatsy's limp body on the ground. The younger koopaling realized his faux pas.

"Sorry, I know, watch my mouth."

Ludwig stared at Larry, a slight smirk lit up his face. "You guys do wonders for my self-esteem." He looked over to Roy, the corners of his lips sagged.

Roy's hands squeezed his restraints. Sweat flopped over his bald head. His chest heaved.

"Roy are you-"

"I'm fine." Roy gasped. "Just land this damn thing. Carefully, please."

Larry turned his attention to the controls and puttered through the clouds. The wind rocked the pod. Roy flinched with the turbulence.

The two Maelstroms in the rear window shrunk at a gradual pace. Soon, they disappeared altogether. The storm raged on.

 


	4. Four Above, Four Below

### **Chapter 4: Four above, Four Below**

Overturned lamps and flashlights illuminated the space. A discarded fire extinguisher glinted in the lantern light. Iggy's posture deflated. He exhaled slowly.

Bully shoved Iggy. "Where is he?"

"The janitor's closet." Iggy winced.

The mock-koopaling stormed past Iggy. Bigmouth's wand gripped in his left hand. He tested the door handle with his free hand. It jimmied open.

Bigmouth lay prostrate on the janitor closet's cold floor. A busted bottle of window cleaner puddled around his belly. His arms and legs were hogtied by nylon cord. Thick layers of gray tape smothered his mouth. His eyes bugged. "Mmff. Mmff."

Bully crouched beside his brother and unfastened his bonds.

Bigmouth scrambled to his feet and tore the tape from his face. He gasped for air and stared at the ceiling with an open-mouthed smile. "Thank the Seven! They finally answered my prayers."

"Guess they wanted you to shut up too." Bully 's muzzle wrinkled. "I'd hate to be you when Amanita gets back on deck."

"It wasn't my fault. Like five guys ambushed me with weapons and, and, and-"

"I heard the real story Bigmouth. How pathetic do you have to be for noodle-arms here to beat you?" Bully pointed at Iggy.

Iggy cast a self-conscious glance at his biceps.

Bigmouth fidgeted and stared at the ground. He opened his mouth, then closed it. He coughed into his shoulder.

"Just go back to the ship. We'll figure out what to do with you later." Bully stormed out of the janitor's closet and grabbed Iggy by the arm and dragged him to the door.

Prisoners lined the Maelstroms deck in ragged rows. Wendy waited beside Kooky, her arms crossed. The crew sagged in the rain. Cloned moles monitored the columns in sinuous patterns. Their movements sharp and unnatural. Like a stop-motion cartoon.

Lemmy trundled past Bully and Iggy, Hip and Hop dragged him by his hands. Lemmy dug his heels into the ground. "Hey, hold up."

Hip halted, Hop peeked over his shoulder. Their eyes trained on Lemmy. "What's up?" Hip said.

"Just need to talk to Iggy a moment." He shuffled to his younger brother.

Iggy regarded his brother with a scowl.

"Drop the attitude stretch, you know why I'm doing this." Lemmy's lazy eye snapped to attention. "I might be able to convince them to let you stay with me."

"Save your breath."

"Stop being so stubborn." Lemmy stamped his foot.

"I'm not being stubborn. I'm being realistic. The help ends as soon as they get what they want."

Lemmy put his back to Iggy and grabbed at his own ponytail. He jogged to the clones and hopped over to the other ship. The bright hues of their hair vanished below deck.

Bully shoved Iggy towards Wendy. His sister caught him and helped him regain his balance. Iggy stared at Bully, hard-eyed behind his fogged spectacles.

Bully raised his fist, Iggy shirked.

Bully smudged the moisture from his shades and counted on his fingers. "Hey Kooky, we're still missing one. Not counting the cowards who jumped ship at least." He awaited Kooky's answer.

Kooky examined the faded burns on his bicep. Singed hairs crept between his scales like a sparse desert brush. "How can he know something that I don't?"

"Not with this again."

"He can breathe fire." Kooky bared his teeth and dragged a claw through his hair. "I can remember what he ate for breakfast two weeks ago, every insipid critique of his face in the mirror, but not how to breathe fire."

"Maybe he's just better than you."

Kooky dug his claws into Bully's shoulders and shook him. "I am far better than some bucktoothed loser with bad hair."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" The corner of Bully's mouth cricked upwards.

"I'm going to break his kneecaps, chain him to a pole, and file his claws off until he tells me." Kooky's lips spread wider with each imagined torture. A shrill cackle followed.

Bully smacked Kooky. "I'm going to wring your neck if you keep doing that stupid laugh."

Kooky's fingers flexed over his wand, he reared the weighted head to strike.

"You two still haven't found her?"

The two mock-koopalings whirled. Kooky tucked his wand behind him. Bully erected his spine. Amanita surfaced the deck. A hand on her hip.

"We were just dropping off our haul, getting some fresh air, you know." Kooky propped his elbow on Wendy's head. She shoved him off. He hissed and swiped at her with his claw. "Little brat."

"You don't get any breaks until you fulfill your end of the bargain." Amanita stomped close to him. She jabbed his gut with her finger. "You've already screwed this up enough, letting those others escape..."

Kooky's muzzle rumpled. "We forgot to factor in those escape pods, sure, but I can guarantee you no one else is hopping aboard one of those."

"If I don't see Toadstool on the deck soon, I'm demoting you."

"Pft, no one could replace me."

"Bully, if I made you in charge, would you throw this knucklehead overboard?"

"With pleasure." Bully cracked his knuckles.

Kooky's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're supposed to back me up here Bully."

"She drives a hard bargain. I get to be in charge and I don't have to look at your ugly mug anymore."

"What'll it be Kooky?"

The mock-koopaling gulped. He swung on his heels and headed below decks once more. Bully grinned at Amanita and followed.

Peach's clone tousled her wet hair. She saluted the latest 'haul' with an exaggerated wave. "It's so nice of you all to join us on this fantastic journey." She shouted over the howling winds.

The embittered crew followed her with heavy eyes.

"I understand your ire. Believe me, I understand." Amanita bobbed her head. "You hate me, and I do admit we were a tad rough on you folks, but I say not to waste your energy."

A nervous twitch crawled up Iggy's spine. The cloned queen wore a grin so tight it looked painted. Her voice carried above the storm.

"There is someone you ought to hate more than me." Amanita pointed at a mole closest to her. "Who sent you on this frivolous quest?"

She loomed over the mole. His mouth trembled. He looked at his neighbors.

"No, that was not a rhetorical question."

"K-King Bowser Koopa sent us."

"His wasteful incompetence has sent many of your kind to their deaths, has it not?"

The mole nodded. The crowd around him stirred. Amanita clasped her hands.

"And, tell me, has the Koopa Kingdom ever known true greatness? True prosperity?"

He opened his mouth to speak.

"Outta the way." Rocky shoved past the mole in front and met her gaze. "I see your game, witch."

"I just want what's best for you."

"Pah, I'll eat my wrench before I believe that." Rocky faced his fellow crew. "I hear you all whisperin' discontents. Bowser's family was the only ones who ever gave us a chance against those Mushroom fiends. Sure he's in a bad place now, but let's not forget why we agreed to unite under the Koopa family in the first place."

Amanita nodded and twirled a wet lock of hair on her finger. "But, what has he done for you lately?"

The crowds murmured.

"Those of you who wish for a better future, by all means, I welcome you. However," Amanita raised a finger and strut along the line of prisoners, "I only have so much room on my vessel. I need able bodied crew. The rest of you will be left to your fate here."

Iggy's stomach twisted. His tongue felt like leather. One by one, the crew put their king behind them and abandoned their shackles. Amanita's minions released their bonds and sent them to the cloned Maelstrom.

The crowd thinned. Only a handful of loyalists remained. Amanita grinned. "As your new leader, the first order of business is to 'escort' our VIPs to their rooms." She gestured to Wendy and Iggy with a wide stroke of her hand. The once loyal crew surrounded them and hustled their quarry along.

Wendy kicked a mutinous mole back and stormed to the edge of the Maelstrom. "Touch me and I'll bite your nose off." She hissed at another.

Iggy followed behind her. They clambered over the deck. A cluster of cloned crew members guided the two of them to an open hatch. Iggy tripped over his feet into the hole and crashed to the ground.

"Iggy!" Wendy shuffled down the stairs and paused. A familiar figure loomed over Iggy and prodded him with a high heel.

"Ugh, hey ugly, get up. I'm not carrying you to your room." Wendy's clone adjusted her bow. "Queen Twitch can say whatever she likes, you can stay here for all I care."

Iggy propped himself on his knees and balanced himself on his feet "Oh boy, another clone." Iggy shot her a dirty look. "I take it you have a dumb name too. Bratty? Bitchy?"

She slapped his face and yanked his hair. "Kootie Pie."

Iggy shoved her back with his shoulder and toppled against a wall.

"If you're done, I'd like to get you to your holding room before her 'highness' gets on my case." Kootie Pie turned up her nose.

Wendy and Iggy followed the mock-koopaling. A procession of guards prodded them from behind. Soon they approached a plain door with one key difference: the locking mechanisms were on the outside.

Kootie Pie opened the door and the crew shoved the two koopalings inside. The door slammed behind them. Iggy peeked over his shoulders and counted their steps.

Wendy crawled onto the bed and lay on her stomach. Her lips wrinkled. The last remnants of her eyeliner dried on her cheeks. "Morton's still out there."

"So?"

"Well," Wendy's eyes fell, "I mean, there's some chance he can bust us out. He's sneaky for a big guy."

"Just because he's quiet doesn't mean he's sneaky." Iggy rolled his eyes and approached the porthole. The Maelstrom hovered, but for how much longer? He sniffled and wiped his face on his arm.

"I bet he's lurking in the shadows waiting to bust some heads. Yeah. He'll come and rescue us for sure."

**X-X-X**

The masked assassin Ysgra brandished a chained sickle. He twirled the weighted end and hurled it at Utaru. The hero raised his greatsword and caught the chain. Ysgra tugged back and pulled Utaru into a high kick.

"Utaru no!"

Morton fumbled with his flashlight and held it in his mouth. He plucked the corner of the page. "Nicth and easthy," he told his hands.

A loud crash echoed beyond his cabin door. Morton jumped. The paper pulled in half at the middle and a ragged tear formed. Morton dropped his book and gasped. "Alright, that's it."

He hoisted himself up, a familiar pins and needles sensation trickled over his feet. He pulled the flashlight from his mouth and lugged himself to the door. He slid it open and peered into the hall. The muffled rain rattled against the hull. Specks of firelight cast dancing shadows on the wall. Stray flames and blackened carpet spread before him.

"Oh...crud."

He eased his way down the corridor. Imagined creatures shuffled in the darkest corners. Morton licked his dried lips. He drifted further and peeked over his shoulder on occasion. The crimson emergency lights flickered. Morton froze.

"Someone out there?" Morton called out. "Anybody," he added in a smaller voice.

"Shut up." Someone whispered from the dark.

Morton whipped around and set his light on a mole in the doorway.

The mole shielded his eyes and growled. "You're gonna bring them right to us."

"Them?"

The mole scooped the air in a broad 'come here' motion.

Morton ducked into the cabin with the mole.

A pair of koopas and a mole clustered in the corner. They jumped at Morton's presence "Relax guys, it's one of the normal koopalings." The mole at the door said.

The crew members eased. A single koopa crawled from beneath a bunk bed. His hands quivered. "You can't be sure he's normal."

One of the cowering moles in the corner shook his head. "No, this one's too quiet. I was on deck when they first attacked. Their Morton won't shut up."

"Yeah, and he's probably caught on to that. Acting all quiet, and then bam. We're fried."

"I think I should get going." Morton edged to the door.

"Not a good idea. They've been rounding up normal koopalings too." The mole at the door stopped him.

"They?"

"For the love off... where've you been this whole time?"

Morton scratched his thigh and frowned. "Haven't left my room since I got back on the ship."

The crew shared a few nervous glances. "You seriously didn't come out to check, not even once?"

"I wanted to catch up on reading." Morton shrugged. "I figured Iggy or someone had the ship under control."

The koopa at the bed pushed off the floor. "We've been invaded by dime-store knockoffs from Anareta and you've been slacking off in your room?"

"You're one to talk. You heroically ran away when we got jumped in the mess hall," the cowering mole in the corner said.

The mole at the door glared at the koopa. "Listen, we've got a koopaling with us. That ups our chances some."

"Oh yeah, we're totally taking this fight to them now. That won't end in disaster, no not at all."

Morton rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, maybe we should quiet down."

"Why would we do that? Like he said: we've got a koopaling with us now. I can yell as loud as I-"

"Put a sock it in it you moron." The cowering mole tackled the koopa and clamped his mouth shut.

"No, let him finish." Kooky von Koopa cracked open the cabin door and peeked through. His lips stretched back to reveal his pointed teeth. "He's been a real big help so far."

The mole released the koopa and pressed his back to the wall.

The koopa screeched and scrambled back into his hiding place.

Kooky pulled the door open and aimed his wand into the room.

Morton grabbed the door and slammed it on Kooky's wrist.

Kooky shrieked and yanked his hand back through the door. A tirade of unintelligible roars followed. Morton pushed past Kooky, the crew flooded out the door and scattered.

"I'm going to rip out your tongue and stuff it down your throat." Kooky jogged after Morton.

Morton's flashlight cut the dark. He huffed his lungs full of air, his stocky frame resisted anything faster than his jog. Kooky's heavy tread spurred him on. Morton slipped around a corner and crashed into Bully Koopa. His flashlight clattered to the floor.

Bully punched Morton's gut and grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.

Bully's black sclera was tinctured red by the emergency light. His sunglasses perched on his forehead. The faint gray irises targeted Morton.

Kooky rounded the corner. He leaned over and rested his hands on his bent knees. His diaphragm pulsed in and out. A laugh rolled from his lips. "Hoo. Heh. He's fast for a big guy."

"You're just fat."

"Eh, screw you." Kooky brushed a wild lock of hair from his eyes.

Morton struggled, but the mock-koopaling's strength matched Roy's. Bully tightened his fingers. Morton choked. "You be good and I won't have to hurt you too bad. Understand?"

Morton wheezed and relaxed. Bully eased his grip. "See. I'm an honest guy if you stay on my good side. Now, you answer my questions, and this'll go smoothly."

Morton nodded.

"You're going to tell me where you're hiding the queen."

Morton gagged. "Larry has her. Y'know, blue mohawk kid."

Bully's lip pursed. He cuffed Morton's cheek with his open palm. "I don't appreciate being lied to. That punk cut out of here, and I didn't see any worthwhile royalty with him."

Morton's neck flexed.

Bully's grip pinched tighter. "Let's try this again."

"I swear that's the last I heard of her."

Bully struck Morton's gut twice. "You're not helping anyone by lying. Least of all yourself. The others are all gone. You're the last one."

"I don't know anything. I swear I don't. I've been in my room this whole time." Morton retreated into himself. His mouth switched to autopilot. "I'm telling the truth." He said it over and over, almost chant-like.

"Great, now he won't shut up." Kooky scoffed.

Bully's snout furrowed. He shook Morton. "Snap out of it, ya useless-"

A yellow light flashed Bully's eyes. The mock-koopaling cried out and shielded his face. Morton slid down the wall. He gagged on his breath.

Peach trained Morton's flashlight on Bully's face. Her arms trembled. "Leave him alone."

"Now that's a surprise." Kooky strolled past Bully. He patted the head of his wand in his opposite palm. "We've been looking all over for you, your majesty."

"Morton." Peach cried at the koopaling. "Help."

Kooky pointed his wand at Morton, The koopaling blocked his face and huddled on the floor. Kooky blocked Peach's light with his body. Bully rubbed his eyes.

"I thought you were smarter than that. You could've left him behind, maybe even escaped." Kooky's lips spread into a crooked grin and giggled.

"I wasn't about to stand by and let that brute torture him."

"Just like you did for Roy," Kooky said.

Peach's lips curled into a frown. "How did you-"

Kooky tapped his forehead with the tip of his claw, "Lardwig and I share some memories, same goes for all of us." He poked Peach's chest with the tip of his wand. "Bully told me all about how his weaker half nearly perished at the hands of a 'brute' in your employ."

The queen swung the koopa-sized flashlight like a club. Kooky grabbed it and tore it from her hands. He aimed his wand at Morton. "I'm not allowed to hurt you, but I can hurt him all I'd like."

"Not allowed? Funny, for all that posturing, you still answer to someone else." Peach glowered.

"She's merely a means to an end. Once I help her claim her throne, she'll help me with mine."

Peach's face paled.

Kooky covered his mouth and chuckled. "Come now your majesty. Your room awaits."

Kooky snagged her arm and dragged her into the black maw of the Maelstrom's halls.

**X-X-X**

Peach recognized the rose madder walls. The color popped in the well-lit room. A trembling sigh bubbled off her lips. She made one big circle since her kidnapping. Now, at least, she found herself in the company of cellmates.

Iggy stood at the window. Bleak shadows draped his Maelstrom like a funeral shroud. He chewed his cheek and drummed his fist on the glass

Wendy sat on the bed. Her pensive gaze trained on her toes. She cradled her bow in her palms. The pink fabric tattered on the edges.

Morton propped himself up in a corner, his legs spread limp before him. He rubbed his neck. Sadness clouded his features.

"At least you all know how it feels now." Peach put her hands on her hips.

Wendy rolled on her side and put her back to Peach. Iggy's forlorn gaze remained on the window. Morton looked up at Peach.

"Wish I did more to help earlier." Morton stroked his arm.

Peach sat next to Morton. "Don't worry about it. I don't know what I was thinking, attacking those guys with just a flashlight."

Morton watched his toes.

"He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"

"Just bruises." Morton showed his neck. "Been through worse."

"Nothing bad?" Peach rubbed her own neck and grimaced. "Forgot koopas were so tough. Then again, you probably get that from your dad."

What little life drained from the room. Cold silence deafened her. Morton clasped his hands and leaned over. He twisted his body away from her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"'Dad' is a sore spot." Iggy adjusted his spectacles, his attention remained beyond the window.

"Right. This is his fault." Peach's bottom lip curled outward. "I still don't know why you guys follow him."

Wendy jumped from the bed. Her lip twitched. "Like we had a choice. He'd have thrown us in the dungeon for defying him."

"No way he'd throw his own kids in the dungeon."

Iggy peeled his eyes from the window and jabbed his finger at the air in front of him. "Will both of you shut up? This is not going to be my trip home."

Wendy's face blanched.

"Please-" Iggy's finger sagged. He sniffled and watched the window again. "Just please shut up."

"Okay Iggy, sorry." Wendy's eyes fell.

Peach watched the window with Iggy. The Maelstrom's propellers slowed. Its nose dipped. The ship sunk beneath the waves of gray. Iggy's chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. His nostrils flared. "All that time. All that money. Weeks of my life. Just, gone." He bumped his forehead against the window.

"My books are gone too." Morton's chin dropped.

"Some lucky toad just landed a really expensive set of makeup." Wendy tucked her knees to her chest.

Iggy's mouth trembled. "Oh yeah, mope about your stupid junk. I have to tell a six little moles why their dad isn't coming home. I have to call someone's fiance. Someone's mom..."

Peach grabbed Iggy's hand and tugged him away from the window. "Iggy..."

Iggy looked at her tender hand and squeezed it gently. His large palm enveloped hers. His eyes watered. "I could've helped out more, I could've got more guys out, I just wish I was stronger."

"Don't hog all the blame." Wendy's bottom lip curled outward. "I couldn't stop them either."

Peach rubbed Iggy's knuckles and reached her arm around him in a soft embrace. She felt like a child against his height. His shell's padded underbelly depressed against her cheek. Iggy trembled and wrapped his arm around Peach. "I know what it's like. People's lives revolve around our work. When we screw up, a lot of people feel it. For you, it's even worse. You're just a kid."

Iggy sputtered and bowed his head.

"The best we can do is stay strong for them and work to beat these jerks. I doubt your crew would forgive you if you let them perish in vain."

Iggy nodded and released the embrace.

"At least some of us made it." Iggy lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes clean of tears. "Ludwig, Roy, Larry, and Junior too, I guess."

Peach's eyes lit up. "Maybe they can get help. It might take some persuasion, but Mario's not above working with koopas."

"What if your captain finds them?" Wendy said. Not a challenge, but a sincere question. "You saw what she did to Roy."

Peach's brow knitted. "Her top priority is to protect me. She won't hurt them if there's a chance they know where I'm at."

"And if they can't help?"

"There's four of us. Maybe we can think of something." Peach paced the room. "You're clever, Wendy, Iggy's knows the ship, Morton's strong, we've got all the brains and brawn we need."

"I suppose we could try for the lifeboats." Iggy itched the distended mop of hair on his head.

"Like they'd let us pull that stunt again." Wendy shook her head. "Bet the whole way is blocked off by guards."

"You're probably right."

Morton scratched at his stomach and grumbled.

"What was that Morton?" Peach faced the koopaling. His eyes drooped. "Go on. Speak."

"It's a stupid idea."

"At least it's an idea."

"Watching that ship fall got me thinking. We can bust their reactor and make them land." Morton spoke a little louder now. "That way, if Luddy and the others find Mario, we'll buy them lots of time to catch up. And if we're stuck on our own, we'll have more options on the ground. It's not foolproof but," Morton's jaw clenched shut, "sorry I'm talking too much aren't I?"

Peach beamed at the koopaling. "It's a start."

"Just a start. It's going to be a long walk to the other side of the ship." Iggy stretched his back. He grabbed the door and tugged. "Plus, we're locked in here."

"Let me handle that." Peach tugged a bobby pin from her hair. She broke it in half and pinched the longer piece in her teeth. She bent it down and formed a makeshift tension wrench.

She crouched beside the lock and peeked into the keyhole. She pressed the tension wrench into the lock and set to work with her makeshift pick. Iggy, Morton, and Wendy watched with mouths agape.

Peach hissed under breath. The lock rattled. She pulled the tension wrench out and the pick. "A little out of practice, heh." She inserted the pick and worked once more. A short succession of clicks followed. Peach tested the door, it slid open a pinch.

Iggy rubbed his chin. "Lock-picking something they teach in etiquette classes?"

"I picked up a few things between the kidnapping attempts." Peach ruffled her hair and grabbed her gown and tore it up to her thigh. "Sorry dress, this hurts me just as much as you." She paced the room to test her new mobility.

Iggy and Morton's cheeks reddened. Wendy elbowed Iggy's rib. "Don't stare."

"Alright, let's get a move on. We've a ship to wreck." Peach rolled open the door and gasped.

Bully Koopa shoved her back in the room and slammed the door behind him. "Amanita was right. You're not even here an hour and you're already trying to bust out."

Peach staggered back. Morton prevented her fall. He shirked in Bully's presence. His bruises ached.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Bully dragged his claw under her chin. "We need to fix that."

Bully pointed at Morton first, "eeny," then Wendy, "meeny," at last Iggy, "you." He grabbed Iggy by the hair and yanked him. Iggy's legs fumbled over one another. Bully grabbed Iggy's glasses and tore them from his face. The straps that held them firm snapped in twain.

Wendy jumped at Bully.

He shoved her back with his hand. "You better quit, for his sake." He shook Iggy by his hair. "Don't wanna make it worse on him."

Peach's stomach sank, a bitter sting tickled the back of her throat.

"Remember, this is her fault." Bully crushed Iggy's glasses in his hand. They died with an awful crunch. He opened his fist and dropped them twisted frames to the floor. He pulled Iggy through the door. The lanky koopaling yelped. "You pull another stunt like this again, I'll take another one away, and they won't be happy. Trust me."

Bully slammed the door. Peach put her hand to her lips and quaked. Her knees buckled. "Iggy..."

"What now?" Morton whispered.

Peach opened her mouth to speak but instead uttered a hoarse cry.

"We keep trying." Wendy crouched beside Peach and offered her hand. "You said it best Peach. We stay strong for the others and we beat these jerks."

Morton offered a concordant grunt. His head bobbed up and down. He leaned over Peach.

Peach took Wendy's hand and stood straight. The three looked at one another. A pact sealed in silence.

**X-X-X**

Lemmy eked a terse sip of air through his nostrils and stretched his legs out in a V. He bent over and touched his left foot. He embraced the tension. Hold. Switch legs. Repeat.

"Stop worrying so much. You're safe here." Hip copied Lemmy's movements.

"I just feel bad for my sibs, that's all." Lemmy's upper body curled into the space between his legs.

"It's their fault they didn't listen to you." Hop watched from the bed. His glasses angled on his face.

"I guess." The way Iggy looked at him cut deep. A hurt that dwelled in the depths of his soul. The familiar contempt levied so often by the others. Iggy thought he was an idiot just like the rest. He knew his brother changed, it came with age, but to this extent he never predicted.

His counterpart cocked his head and smiled. Lemmy found it odd to see another face wear his smile. Lemmy offered a sheepish smile in reply.

"I know you're torn up about Iggy." Hip tested the name with his tongue. The syllables alien on his mouth. "I don't know what I'd do if the same thing happened with me and Hop."

Lemmy crossed his legs and placed one hand on his knees. He opened his other palm. The pink canister contrasted the dull pad of his palm.

"What's that?"

"It's medicine." Lemmy set the canister on the ground and watched it. "Iggy forgot it on the other ship."

"Oh, I didn't know he was sick."

Lemmy's eyebrow quirked. "Really?"

"I mean, he looks fine, if just a little weird."

Lemmy tipped the canister over, then set it up again. How could his own clone not know? Lemmy picked up the canister. "It's...it's a brain sickness. He's had it since he was little."

"Oh." The mock-koopaling stood on his hands and stretched. His shoulders popped along with his spine. He curled into a ball and sighed. "He probably needs that, huh?"

"I don't think he'd listen long enough for me to give it to him." Lemmy frowned.

"Maybe I could try."

Lemmy smirked and shook his head. "No offense, but if he won't listen to me, he definitely won't listen to you."

"Well," Hip rubbed his chin and hummed, "I bet we could find someone he would listen to. Like your sister."

"That's not a half bad idea." Lemmy jumped to his feet.

Hip skittered to the door. He looked to the bed and motioned for his brother to follow. The taller mock-koopaling crawled from the bed and hobbled ahead of them. Hop watched Lemmy, his lips a line and his eyes frigid.

"You okay there Hop?" Lemmy cocked his head.

"He's just shy. Iggy's shy too, isn't he?"

"He hasn't been for a long time." Lemmy watched the back of Hop's head. The mock-koopaling plod down the hall a fair few paces ahead.

Hip shrugged and marched down the hall. He lifted his legs high to a jaunt only his ears heard. Lemmy's fingers closed tight around the medicinal canister and followed.

A pair of moles wandered past. Lemmy noted their fluid and natural movements. "Why do those guys look normal?" Lemmy covered his mouth. "No offense."

"Because they aren't from our ship." Hip's lips spread into a grin. "Queen Amanita let your crew come on board if they promised not to cause a ruckus."

"No kidding."

"She's quite kooky, maybe even more so than Kooky, but she can be nice when she wants."

"Maybe she's got a little Peach in her still." Lemmy mused aloud. "Man, I told Iggy you guys weren't all bad."

Lemmy wore a victorious smile. A part of him wanted to rub it in soon as they found his brother, but then he knew that's a fast way to lose friends. Instead, he would use it as proof.

A slam shook Lemmy from his thoughts.

Hip froze. He held his index claw to his lips. He peeked around the corner and gestured for Lemmy to follow.

Lemmy watched Bully drag Iggy down the hall. His meaty fist clenched around his hair. Lemmy's chest tightened.

"What did you do now, Iggy?" Lemmy whispered. The little koopaling rounded the corner and kept a fair distance from Bully and Iggy.

"Whoa, wait. That's not a good idea Lemmy." Hip trailed behind.

Hop waited at the corner for a moment longer then followed the others.

Lemmy ignored Hip. He tracked Bully down a network of halls. Bully dragged Iggy along a familiar path. They weaved through the halls until they reached a flight of stairs.

Lemmy waited at the bottom and listened.

"Hey, boss lady, you were right."

"Of course I was right."

Lemmy crawled up the stairs and peeked. Amanita sat in the captain's seat. Her thigh crossed over her knee while she reclined. She owned it like a throne.

"Peach never did like being locked up." Amanita twisted her wrist. The bones popped. "Why is he here?"

"I heard this brat bawl his eyes out to her through the door. Figured if we hurt him, it would hurt her."

"I'm impressed by your initiative." Amanita chuckled.

Not one to be upstaged, Kooky stood from his seat at the console Iggy normally occupied. "Hey, hey, we can throw him in the janitor's closet like he did to Bigmouth. Poetic justice at its finest. "

"I'll rough him up a little too. Make him really regret it." Bully punched his palm and grabbed Iggy again.

Lemmy gasped and hid his head. Hip and Hop waited for him at the bottom of the stairs. Lemmy crawled down and pointed at the top of the stairs. "What's all this?"

"He must've broken the rules." Hip whispered.

"No, Peach did," Lemmy said.

"We can't touch Peach," Hop said.

Lemmy rubbed his temples and crawled back down the stairs. He looked at his canister. "Please help me get this medicine to him if you really are my friend, Hip."

Hip bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Alright, but we have to wait until they're done. Bully's not someone you take lightly."

Lemmy wrapped his arms around his legs and sighed. "Sorry Stretch, you really should've played it smart."

Iggy's muffled screams carried down the staircase. Lemmy winced and clutched his legs tighter. He tuned them out and waited for his window of opportunity.

**X-X-X**

Mottled fields of amber and emerald rippled in the country winds. Dirt roads snaked the fields like faded scars. The Stonekeeper Mountains slumbered at their stations on the horizon.

"Much as I hate this place, it looks nice." Larry hummed. His nose twitched.

"I could see myself living here." Ludwig leaned over Larry's seat. A rustic mansion passed them by. Stoic in its posture and regal in its trappings. "In a different life of course."

The fuel gauge ticked halfway.

"We should land soon." Ludwig tapped the gauge and scoped the countryside.

Roy rocked in his seat. He wrapped bandages around his eyes to protect them from the sun's rays. Ludwig wondered if he did it to hide from the height as well.

"Yeah. I don't think Roy's heart can take much more of this." Larry mumbled.

Ludwig walked to the window at the rear of the pod. Castle Toadstool's wounds gaped. The storm still shrouded the Maelstrom.

"Luddy?"

Ludwig peeked over his shoulder. "Hm?"

Larry squeezed the yoke. "You should land it."

"Just give it a try." Ludwig pat Larry's shoulder. "You've gotten us this far, haven't you?"

"Alright." Larry's nerves tinged. He surveyed the land. A cluster of trees gathered beside a river. He angled the craft and eased the yoke forward.

Ludwig clambered into a seat beside Cheatsy. "Comfortable?" Ludwig's eyes narrowed at Larry's clone.

"Screw you." Cheatsy struggled against his restraints. His wrists bound by cord found in the pod's survival supplies.

"Wait a minute Luddy, what if you need to take over?" Larry tried to steady his nerves.

"You've flown a clown copter before, you can manage this. It's just a little bigger."

The pod lurched. The horizon line ascended upward. Details on the ground became clear.

Roy squeezed his restraints. "Oh, Stars. You land it Ludwig. Please land it."

"We're okay Roy. Larry's fine." Ludwig clenched his legs.

Larry's eyes darted between the gauges. The altimeter counted down. The pod snagged the top of a tree and twisted out of Larry's control. Metal screeched and groaned. The pod skittered across the ground. Dirt clods and grass smothered the window.

Larry pried his fingers from the yoke, slipped off his restraints, and collapsed to the floor.

"Oh yeah, he's totally fine. He only hit everything on the way down." Cheatsy snarled from his seat.

"We're still in one piece." Ludwig unfastened his belt and stumbled.

Roy peeked between his bandages and reeled at the sudden influx of sunlight. He covered his eye again and remained still. "I'm with the freak. Next time we're in the sky, never let him land."

Larry's cheeks tinted pink. He frowned and looked away. He rubbed the galled patches of scales left behind by his restraints.

A puff of smoke billowed from Ludwig's nostrils. "He did fine. This thing isn't exactly equipped with regular landing gear." Ludwig pressed the control panel by the door. Sparks burst from the button. Ludwig covered his eyes and staggered back.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if that thing worked, dumb-ass." Cheatsy struggled in his seat.

"Great, we're trapped," Roy said.

"I can open the door, stop freaking out." Ludwig's eyes trained on Cheatsy. "And you, shut up."

"Oh yeah? You gonna sit on me again?"

"Larry, get your clone under control." Ludwig huffed and crawled to his knees. He hooked his claws into a metal panel and pried it open. Tangled wires spilled from the compartment.

Larry looked at Cheatsy. Cheatsy flashed his teeth in a wide grin. Larry gulped. "He's looking at me weird."

Ludwig hooked his claw around a green wire and blue wire. He pulled them loose. "That's just his face, they all look weird."

"What're you waiting for? Get me under control." Cheatsy stuck his tongue out at Larry.

"Ludwig he's making me uncomfortable."

Ludwig growled and pressed the wires together. The exit hissed and swung open. The sound of rushing water filled the air. Birds called and answered. Insects hummed natural tunes.

Roy foisted himself from his seat and hobbled along the room. His hands groped the air. He slipped and knocked his head on a seat. A string of muffled curses slipped his lips.

Larry and Ludwig looked at each other. Ludwig pointed his thumb at Roy. Larry scrunched his muzzle. Ludwig rolled his eyes and grabbed Cheatsy by the mohawk and shook his head. "I'll take care of this one."

"Fine. I'll help him." Larry grabbed Roy's wrist and lead him to the door. He eased Roy into the shade of a tree. Fresh air rode the river currents and tousled Larry's hair.

Roy grumbled beneath his breath. "I could've made it out just fine."

"Yeah, right." Larry climbed back into the pod.

Ludwig hoisted Cheatsy over his shoulder. He thrashed and kicked, but Ludwig ignored him. He dropped Cheatsy on the ground beside Roy. Cheatsy writhed and seethed garbled obscenities.

Ludwig left him and entered the pod.

"Alright, let's open up the stash." Ludwig leaned over a panel at the center of the pod and opened it. Six orange rucksacks of disparate sizes lay in the compartment, a bedroll attached to each of them. Larry's leather satchel jutted from the middle. Larry plucked his bag from the rest and set it aside. Ludwig set aside the largest pack for himself.

The brothers hoisted the rest of the bags out of the hole and unzipped them. Survival supplies of all kinds burgeoned from each pack. "Instant meals, just add water," Larry read a brown paper package aloud. He pulled out a strange pump device with an acorn shaped nib at the end. "What's this?"

"Portable water filter." Ludwig sifted through the other bags. He pulled out rope and bandages. A bottle of clear salve and a few red potions. A cooking pot with a mess-kit fastened inside. Stainless steel canteens with screw on caps. "Throw all the food into Roy's bag."

Larry scooped up as many brown packages he could hold and dumped them into Roy's duffel bag. He peeked beneath the pod's seats and stuffed his hand under. He pulled out Cheatsy's wand. The indigo tip coruscated in the natural light. "I'll hold onto this."

The brothers divided the spoils into three bags, Larry grabbed a fourth one and started to fill it.

"Who's that for?"

"Just in case." Larry shrugged.

"Alright, we've got food and water. Stuff to cook with. Bedrolls. Medical supplies" Ludwig stretched and popped a vertebra in his back. "I'll handle the campfires."

Larry hooked his arm around his rucksack. It caught on his shell. "This might be a problem."

Ludwig chuckled. "I forget, dad-" Ludwig cleared his throat, "Bowser never took you camping."

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Here's something he taught me." Ludwig reached to his opposite shoulder and unhooked a clasp on his shell. It clicked and sagged awkwardly on his frame. The shell's underbelly distended and spread out. He unhooked the second clasp and the shell dropped to the floor with a deep thud.

Ludwig wore only a taut gambeson vest and cloth briefs that clung to his hips. A perspirant sheen on his scales. He grimaced at himself and tugged on the vest. "Ugh, wish I managed to grab a change of underclothes."

He scooped up a rucksack and hooked it over his arms. He cinched the straps tight until the sack rode high on his upper back. He squatted down and slipped his armor back onto his body and encased it in his shell.

"Simple as that." Ludwig removed the shell and rucksack. He hooked the shell on his body once more. He hooked the clasps with a practiced flourish. The enchanted padded material suctioned to his skin and fit tight over him like an extra layer of dermis. No sign of his underclothes at all.

Larry reached for his own fasteners and repeated Ludwig's process. The rucksack burrowed into his back. He rolled his shoulders and frowned. "It's kinda snug."

"Guess your shell's getting a little small." Ludwig scratched the thick of his neck.

"I think I just found a use for my clone." The younger koopaling stripped his rucksack. He held it in his free hand and hooked his satchel over his shoulder.

"I say we just dump him in the river. I'm in no mood to babysit." Ludwig said.

"Jeez that's heartless."

Ludwig smirked and snorted. "Stars, I'm not being serious. Still, I think it's best we leave him behind."

"Come on Luddy."

"Larry, it's a bad idea."

Larry lowered his voice and leaned closer to his older brother, he spoke: "We'll have leverage. A trade for one of our guys."

"And he'll kill us in our sleep."

"We don't have to untie him. Besides, he's stranded in the middle of enemy territory with three," Larry cleared his throat and held up two fingers, " excuse me, two able-bodied koopas to put him down."

Ludwig sighed, "fine then."

Larry scooped up his orange rucksack and trotted out the door.

Ludwig waited at the pod and watched.

His younger brother dropped his rucksack in front of Cheatsy. The mock-koopaling twitched and looked up. "I ain't your mule."

"You carry what we tell you, and you can come with us."

Cheatsy's brows perked. "Oh, so you're untying me then?"

"No. I'm letting you tag along. Otherwise, we're leaving you here to fend for yourself."

Cheatsy clucked his tongue against his teeth. "I see."

"What's your answer?"

"How about this." Cheatsy wriggled his wrists from his restraints and slashed the cords at his ankles. He swept Larry's legs from beneath him and snatched the wand from the air. He pressed it Larry's chest. "D'aww thanks for my stuff back Larry."

A fireball grazed Cheatsy's head. He ducked and aimed his wand at Ludwig. The larger koopaling bull rushed him and grabbed the head of Cheaty's wand. Sparks fountained from the wand and into Ludwig's hand.

Ludwig winced and squeezed. His irises reddened. The wand glowed white. Cheatsy yelped. He released his wand and shook his hand.

"You do anything to my brother and I will boil your eyes in their sockets," Ludwig growled and threw the wand to the grass. Embers danced in the grass where it landed.

Larry gasped and ran to the river with a canteen. He returned and dumped water onto the wand and embers. Steam gasped and exploded from the heated metal.

"That's a neat trick. The eyes and the show magic. Ooh. Scary." Cheatsy chuckled. The smile stopped before his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"You don't believe me?"

Larry inched towards Ludwig. "Luddy, come on, stop. I had it under control."

Ludwig clicked his claws together. The air around his palm shimmered. Heat waves radiated from his skin.

"Ludwig! He gets it. Look at him." Larry jumped in front of Ludwig and waved his arms.

Cheatsy lay on his belly with his hands over his eyes. His tail tucked between his legs. His shoulders quaked.

Ludwig's irises returned to their normal blue. The clouds blushed on the horizon. The trees cast long tendrils in the setting sun. Ludwig drew a deep breath. "You try anything like that again, and I will end you, you understand?"

Cheatsy bobbed his head up and down. The mock-koopaling turned to Larry and cocked his head. "Uh, don't need help carrying your stuff do you?"

Larry picked up the rucksack and dropped it in Cheatsy's lap. "That's yours and this," he dropped another bag at Cheatsy's feet, "is mine."

"Come on, how am I supposed to carry both?"

"You figure it out."

Cheatsy rolled his eyes and hoisted both his bags up with his arms.

Ludwig stumped towards Roy's duffel bag. A pair of charred footprints where he last stood. Ludwig grabbed the bag and carried it to Roy. His younger brother groaned and wiped his forehead.

"Hanging in there?"

"I think I'm spent, Ludwig." Roy wheezed. "I know my limits, and if I push anymore, I think I might not get up again."

Ludwig sighed and nodded. "That's what I thought. I'm afraid if we stay here someone'll find us."

"There're just farmlands out here," Larry called out from where he stood. All eyes shifted to him. He rubbed the back of his neck and counted on his fingers. "If we're where I think we're at, there's only a handful of farmhouses on the roads and a village on the river by Pinebrook Basin. Chances anyone saw us fall are pretty low."

"You're certain, Larry?" Ludwig frowned.

"We can sleep in shifts." Larry shrugged. "That way we can catch anyone before they catch us. I mean, we're pretty much screwed on foot too."

Roy huffed and rubbed his arm. His head lowered. A low sigh rumbled his lips.

"Okay then, I guess we're camping here for the night." Ludwig dropped Roy's duffel bag beside him and stretched. "At least we're close to water."

The brothers prepared a simple campsite from their supplies. Larry fetched water from the river with his purifier pump and filled canteens. Ludwig grabbed Cheatsy and dragged him to the plains to search the tall grass for stones.

The penultimate rays of day beat on their backs. Ludwig's hair clung to his head with sweat. Cheatsy slumped on his backside and wiped his forehead.

"I don't see the point. Can't we just get rocks from the river?" Cheatsy grumbled.

"There's water trapped in the rocks, we heat it up, they explode."

"Neat." Cheatsy grinned.

"Not if you're too close."

They wandered the plains for a moment longer, when a black shape emerged from the sky. Ludwig's heart sank. The Maelstrom dipped from the distant storm clouds and crashed to the ground. An obsidian grave-marker remained on the horizon line.

"I hope everyone made it out okay," Ludwig mumbled to himself.

They found a cluster of crushed rocks hidden in a natural pothole. Yellowed grass obscured the view. Ludwig hauled an armful of the large white stones from the plains and dropped them in a pile beside the tree.

Larry was beside Roy, he put a canteen in Roy's hand.

Roy chugged the water and gasped. He croaked and set the canteen down. "Needed that."

"What're those for?" Larry tilted his head.

"Campfire." Ludwig set to work arranging the stones in a circle. Larry nodded and ran between the trees to grab kindling and boughs. The splintered tree they hit on entry offered a large bounty of firewood.

Cheatsy watched the two of them work and yawned.

Ludwig stepped back and examined his handiwork. A few stones were nudged out of place and formed a sort of ellipse. Ludwig chalked it up to being tired and just let it be. He sifted through his rucksack and fished out a cooking pot.

Cheatsy rubbed his stomach. "Yeah! I could do with something to eat."

Ludwig gestured for Roy's duffel bag. Larry scooped out a few brown packages and brought them to Ludwig. The eldest koopaling poured water into the pot and set kindling in the stone circle. He pointed his claw the dry kindling, flames jumped from his hands and lapped up the fuel.

He added thicker boughs next until a decent fire emerged from the circle of stone. He balanced the two largest boughs he had on the stones and then set the pot atop the makeshift stove.

Ludwig poured the instant meal into the boiling water. Dried beans, grains, and green chunks soaked. Ludwig stirred it with a spoon from his mess-kit until it thickened.

Cheatsy grimaced. "What...is that?"

"Food." Ludwig spooned the gunk into a metal bowl and passed it to Larry. "Give that one to Roy."

Larry scrunched his nose at the meal and carried it to his older brother.

"I think I'll pass." Cheatsy waved his hand.

"You'll regret it later." Ludwig filled another bowl for Larry, then one for himself. "Trust me."

Larry sat next to the fire and sniffed at his gruel. He scooped a sip with his spoon and licked the basin. He spread the flavors on his palate and cocked his head. Larry shrugged and ate a proper mouthful.

"What if I don't trust you?" Cheatsy gagged at his bowl.

"Back before Larry was born, Bowser used to drag us into the mountains for camping trips." Ludwig swallowed a mouthful of instant gruel and cleared his throat. "I hated it so much."

"Yeah, you used to whine the whole time you were there," Roy shouted from his spot beneath the tree.

"He made us do it in our armor and in military tents. Probably because that's what we had lying around." Ludwig said.

A low breeze tousled their hair. The roaring river soothed their ears. Larry set aside his empty bowl and leaned forward.

"We had some instant food junk like we're eating now, and well, I turned my nose up at it."

"Hard to believe that." Cheatsy covered his mouth and snickered.

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "I went hungry that morning, and unfortunately we had this really long surprise hike planned. We traveled miles and miles, it just went on forever. My body hated me every step of the way."

"Then the wuss passed out."

"I was getting there, Roy."

"You're boring the guys, I can hear them snoring from here."

Ludwig shook his head. "Point being, I passed out. Bowser carried me back to camp."

"Bet he was mad." Larry frowned.

"No." Ludwig's brow softened. "He had that gruel ready for me to eat, and I scarfed it down so fast I almost threw it back up. He says to me," Ludwig cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a Bowser growl, "it's a big bad world out there Luddy and sometimes you have to do some unpleasant things to survive."

"Sounds just like him." Larry chuckled.

"I practice behind his back all the time." Ludwig grinned. His eyelids drooped. "Anyway, I don't want to carry my stuff, your stuff, and your sorry ass across the plains tomorrow morning because you decided to skip a meal."

Cheatsy pursed his lips and spooned a mouthful of gruel. He gagged it down. His eyes teared up. "Stars, it's the texture that gets me."

The koopalings laughed at Cheatsy's expense. The firelight flickered on their faces. Larry stretched. The koopalings sat for a moment to let their meal digest.

"I'm half tempted to take a dip in the river. I feel gross." Larry itched at his scalp.

"For once, I'm with him." Cheatsy pointed his thumb at Larry.

Ludwig yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, you guys have fun. I'll jump in after you finish."

"Afraid to show some skin?" Cheatsy snickered.

"I enjoy my privacy." Ludwig's eyes narrowed.

Larry punched Cheatsy's arm. "Hey, I'll just let him cook your eyes out this time."

Cheatsy rolled his eyes. "Do none of you have a sense of humor?"

Ludwig rubbed his temples. "I am calm. I am zen. No one has to die today. Just cool off in the river." He pushed to his feet and stormed past Roy.

Ludwig unhooked his shell and propped it up against a tree. He tarried at the water's edge in his faded underclothes. Reflections of clouds danced on the shimmering surface. Fuzzy tipped river grasses brushed his calves.

Shaky claws unfastened the clasps of his gambeson vest. He rolled it off his shoulders and hung it over a low-hanging brow. He blew air through his lips. He hooked his claws in the waistband of his briefs.

"Cannon ball!" Cheatsy jumped past Ludwig in the buff.

Cold water splashed Ludwig's face and rocked his bones.

Larry crawled in from the bank. He covered his unmentionables and hid in the water. His dry hairs stood on end.

The mock-koopaling surfaced and gasped. "N-no regrets." Cheatsy's lean arms hugged his body tight and shivered. His face flashed different colors.

"So I wasn't imagining things," Ludwig mumbled. "What's with the color thing?"

"What color thing?" Cheatsy's face returned to normal.

"Nevermind." Ludwig shook his head and shimmied out of his shorts and draped them on the same tree. He tried to make himself small as he waded into the water. He sat down and curled up. Steam rose from his skin.

"Wow. You're like a portable heater." Cheatsy stopped shivering

Ludwig respired at a rhythmic pace.

"That's not good, is it Luddy?" Larry frowned.

"Just need to calm down." Ludwig slumped against a rock.

The koopalings stewed in the warmth. The sun dipped further until only the jeweled firmament remained. Fireflies waltzed in the fields like stars descended from High Haven. Footfalls woke Ludwig from his trance.

Roy eased into the water beside Ludwig and let out a content hum. White crust held his wounds shut. He closed his eyes and splashed his face with water. "So much for your privacy," he said.

"Suppose I should be used to it by now. None of you ever learned how to knock." Ludwig stretched his legs and arched his spine. Pearls of water drizzled down his keratin scales. "I see the salve is working."

"Hate it." Roy poked the stiff crust on his bicep. "It's like my arm's being taken over by sleepy sand."

Ludwig cracked a grin. "Sleepy sand?"

"You know, that stuff on your eyes in the morning?"

"I know what it is." Ludwig shook his head and reclined. "It's just funny you still use the term."

Roy's muzzle tinted a rosier shade. "What else am I supposed to call it."

Ludwig chuckled and tilted his head back. The Starroads shimmered in the cracks of clouds. Ludwig imagined the view of the land from Low Haven.

"I kinda missed this." Roy adjusted his legs.

"Being stuck behind enemy lines sure gets me all sentimental too." Ludwig titled his head at Roy.

"I mean, this whole camping thing. It's good to be away from the insanity back home."

"Yeah, screw indoor plumbing." Ludwig pumped his fist.

"Killjoy." Roy murmured. "Come on. There was a sense of adventure to it. Packing up and traveling the wilderness. Exploring and living off the land. I seem to remember a dumb big brother leading 'expeditions' in search of tombs and treasures."

Ludwig snorted and broke into a hearty laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Stars, I was stupid back then."

"Just back then?"

"Bite me." Ludwig punched Roy's good arm. Roy winced and rubbed his bicep. "Oh, there was that time we found that dumb 'fossil.'" Ludwig's face lit up. He remembered a slick marbled rock with the semblance of a buzzy beetle's shell. Bowser nor Kamek had the heart the tell the kids it was indeed, just a rock. "It sat proudly on my desk for years."

Roy's face contorted and a deep yawn spilled out. "Don't forget the best part: mom always had fresh sweet rolls ready for us the moment we got home."

Ludwig laid a hand on the curve of his paunch. His smile slipped. A low hum rumbled his throat. He looked up. Larry and Cheatsy soaked. Their nostrils poked just above the water's surface.

"Go on." Cheatsy bubbled. "I want more embarrassing stories."

Roy rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Ludwig.

"I think it's time for me to settle in for the night." Ludwig climbed up and dragged himself over the river bank. Water cascaded from his shoulders and soaked the grass.

"Aw, but now the water's going to get cold."

Roy shushed the clone.

He shook his hair of water and flicked his hands of stray droplets. He grabbed his undergarments from the tree. Drips of moisture tingled his legs. He sighed, perhaps he would take a moment to dry at the fire.

The koopalings in the river watched Ludwig slump off to camp.

His aurochian figure glowed in the campfire.

**X-X-X**

Four armored shells rested in a circle around the fire. Insects chirped and buzzed from their hidden perches among the grass. Roy's snores dominated the other sounds. Cheatsy fidgeted and whimpered in his sleep. Larry and Ludwig toasted in the fading embers of their campfire.

"I can do the first watch." Larry looked up at his older brother.

Ludwig shook his head twice. "Get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"What about you?" Larry tilted his head.

"I'm fine." Ludwig sipped at his canteen.

"If you say so."

"I say so."

Larry yawned and gathered a mattress of soft grass. He unwrapped his bedroll - A squat pillow tumbled from the middle. Larry adjusted the pillow and crawled beneath the blanket. His shell rested beside him, shaded in the dark.

He closed his eyes and tried to still his restless thoughts. No luck, he opened his mouth, "I wish I got to do this stuff with you guys. The way Roy talks about it, it sounded fun."

"Hate to admit, but yeah, it was kinda fun."

"Why did dad stop?"

"Bowser stopped a lot of things after Junior was born."

Larry sat up and looked at Ludwig. His older brother's eyes were wet and his muzzle stern. He drew a deep breath.

"Oh." Larry frowned. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Will you go to sleep if I answer you?"

Larry nodded.

"Alright, spit it out."

"Can you teach me how to use my Ember?"

Ludwig peeked over his shoulder at Larry. "It's like using a wand-"

"Except you use your body like the wand, I know that part." Larry rolled his eyes. "I mean like, the cool stuff. Like tanking a fireball."

"Roy could teach you better, he's more patient."

"I'd rather learn from you," Larry mumbled. He rolled over and glared at his sleeping brother. "Besides, I've never seen him do what you can do."

"Flattery only gets you so far, kid." Ludwig clicked his claws together and sighed. "It's dangerous and I probably shouldn't rely on it like I have today."

"What if we get attacked? I can help."

Ludwig frowned and narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. Larry hid his mouth with his bedroll. His toes curled.

"Maybe I'll show you a few things after we set up camp tomorrow." Ludwig huffed and poked the fire with a twig. "Now get some rest, your shift will come before you know it."

Larry grinned and curled up in his bedroll.

Ludwig hummed a tune to himself. Familiar and yet alien in his baritone cords. A simple melody that Larry's head ached to fill with lyrics. He closed his eyes, and all at once, felt calm.

 

 


	5. Mario Rescue Party

### Chapter 5: Mario Rescue Party

Crowds lumbered over shattered tile and past crushed walls. Stained glass speckled the floor like a vein of gemstones. Minerva limped. Her armor clanked at the joints. She scooped up her short sword. Dried black blood caked the tip. "Thought I'd lost you," she told the sword.

A toad and shyguy inspected the crowds. They aimed video cameras at the wreckage. "Quick, quick, get a shot of him." The toad pointed at Minerva.

Minerva sheathed her sword. Her fingers clenched the hilt. She glared at the two behind her visor.

"Excuse me, sir." The toad shuffled up to her. "Would you mind answering a few questions about what happened here today?"

Minerva answered with stony silence. She set her back to the toad. A draft whipped her cape.

"C'mon man. This'd be great for my blog. I'd get, like, a billion hits."

"No." Minerva made way for the servants quarters.

"Oh, ma'am. Sorry, it's the armor. Y'know." The toad chuckled.

Minerva left him behind. Every wasted moment bought those koopas extra time. Every second she fell further into disgrace. Captain of the guard, bested by incompetent beasts.

Knights and royal guards alike gathered in the halls. A pair of clubbas in work coveralls waited at the door. A toad in Queensguard attire spoke to the more vocal clubba.

"Did you overhear anything, anything at all?" The toad removed his helmet. His was a baby-faced complexion, but well-kempt and handsome for his kind.

"Something about cheap party favors." Trubba pressed a sack of ice to his forehead. "That's all I heard I swear."

The toad drew a deep sigh and faced Trubba's companion. "How about you?"

Frank, the other clubba, coughed into his hand.

"He's not much for talking." Trubba tucked the other clubba behind him.

"It's imperative, sirs." The toad's brow furled. "Her Majesty's safety depends on it."

The clubbas looked at one another. Congruence in their eyes. Trubba nodded. "You can do it, Franky."

"I-I-" Frank's lips flubbed. "I heard them s-say somethin' ab-bout a storm. A m-maelstrom."

The toad rubbed his chin. "Maelstrom. So they created the storm for their escape."

"N-no idea. Big guys di-didn't," Frank gulped and licked his lips, "talk much."

"It's the name of their vessel." Minerva entered the conversation. She planted her feet at shoulders width and steadied her scabbard at her hip. "You're not going to get much from them, they spent most of the intrusion fast asleep."

"With all due respect captain, I'll be the judge of that."

"Lieutenant, let them rest," Minerva spoke the words, not as a suggestion, but a bold command. "You come to us if you remember anything substantial."

"Er, yes ma'am." Trubba was taken aback at her terse demeanor. He bowed his head and helped his friend down the hall. Vine waited for them to hook the corner and faced Minerva. His lips a thin line.

"Smooth. There goes our only lead."

Minerva beckoned towards the toad. "Follow me, Vine."

"What's going on?"

"We can't discuss it here."

The Queensguard knights left the servants quarters for the garden. Rain rattled the hedgeleaves. Their boots squelched in the mud.

They followed a paved stone path between the apple trees and lilacs. A pastoral gazebo marked the center of the garden. A pair of Piantas waited at the stairs.

Vine's fingers twitched for his weapon. Minerva raised her hand to steady him. Vine gulped and walked closer to the captain.

"Looks like Tony finally found you." Don Pianta's mustache twitched.

"This'd better be good."

"Only the best of the best for her majesty's finest soldiers."

Minerva ignored the sarcasm and cupped her hand over the pommel of her sword. "Cut to the chase."

"Of course." Don Pianta stuffed a meaty palm into his jacket. "Walk with me, captain."

Minerva and Vine looked at each other and then to the Pianta.

"You can bring the kid too. Just come on."

The knights trialed Don Pianta. He lumbered through the garden path. He plucked his sunglasses from his face and tucked them into the breast pocket of his dress shirt. "One of the boys saw something fishy come this way. We searched every miserable scrap of this garden. Then we saw it, there on the hill."

Minevera glanced at the hilltop. A pasty-faced vessel lay on its side. Minerva faced Pianta again.

"I sent Francisco to check it out, and well, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

They rounded a corner and left the garden through the back entrance.

At the bottom of the hill lay a stocky koopaling. He wore his hair in a ponytail. A leather belt cinched around his maw. One of the larger Piantas pressed his weight on Junior's back and pinned him to the ground. The prince's eyes lowered in defeat.

Minerva's shoulders tensed.

"That's..." Vine's jaw sagged.

"Normally I'd charge a fee for detaining a bona fide monster, but I owe Mario a few favors."

Minvera turned to Vine. "Get a cell prepped."

Vine twisted on his heels and sprinted.

Minerva took a knee and leaned over Bowser Junior. Junior's brow furled. He bared his fangs in protest.

"An eye for an eye, a prince for a queen." Her pale lips twisted back into a smile.

**X-X-X**

The room stank of must and rot. A pallet of moist straw was tucked into the corner. Stripes of pale light filtered through interstices in the barred window. Beyond the cell lay pine green shell armor.

Junior wrestled his restraints. His scales raw and distended on his forearms; inflamed flesh visible in the cracks. His pupils trained on his armor.

Ancient hinges screeched. Minerva's horned shadow cast over him. Junior growled and backed away from the bars.

"Up," she said.

Junior shook his head and snorted. His jaws strained the leather muzzle fastened over his maw. The nape of his neck stung.

Minerva drew her sword and leveled its point at Junior's throat. "That wasn't a request."

"Captain, please," Vine placed two fingers on the flat of her blade and pushed it down, "let me."

The Queensguard captain was silent. Vine did not wait for her response. He approached the young koopa. "You've been summoned by the Royal Court, and they're not too keen on being ignored. "

Junior's pupils pointed downward. His chest heaved with each breath. His nostrils flared.

"I can help make your stay better, but you need to give me something to work with."

Junior propped himself on the wall and balanced his legs. Even at his young age, he towered over the toad knight. Junior growled and rammed at the knight with his shoulder.

Vine sidestepped and hooked Junior's ankle with his foot. Junior tripped and landed on his face. Vine drew a rapier from his hip and prodded Junior's rump. "Come on kid, you telegraphed that so hard."

"Lieutenant..." Minerva reached down and grabbed Junior by the elbow.

"Guess we'll do it your way." Vine took Junior's opposite elbow and tugged.

Minvera forced the brunt of Junior's limp weight from the ground and hauled him. Junior dragged his legs on the ground to slow her. Vine spurred him with a light jab of his sword.

Junior yelped and picked up his feet.

First through torchlit corridors. Their metal boots clattered and echoed in the claustrophobic space. Junior kept his head low.

Up from the underground and out of the old dungeon. They dragged their quarry into the light. Castle servants paused their activities and gawked. The crown prince of koopas stripped of his armor and reduced to a muzzled animal.

They traveled the destroyed entrance hall and up the flight of stairs to the second floor. Junior saw the gilded threshold of Castle Toadstool's throne room. He bit the inside of his mouth and gulped.

Minerva opened the door.

Voices rumbled in the acoustic room. Toads in robes dyed royal purples and deep reds gathered in rows of raised seats. The incumbent king displayed himself with a semblance of calm, the empty seat beside him a stark lacuna. The dukes occupied the margins. Agaricus his right hand and Rook his left.

A sveinn and his master wheeled a platform to the center of the room. A cast iron pillory loomed over Junior.

"Alright kid, get moving." Vine gestured to the pillory with his rapier.

Junior clambered up the steps, his back to the court. His knees stiffened. Minerva grabbed the back of his head and thrust him down. Junior choked and squirmed. The servants that manned the platform surrounded Junior and locked the pillory over his neck.

They let him fight a moment to test the locks. Satisfied by the struggle, Minerva unhooked Junior's muzzle. The koopa prince roared and stomped his feet. "Dad's going to burn you all to a crisp."

"Daddy can't do anything while we have you in our custody." Rook scoffed.

"Whatever it is you want, you won't get it from me." Junior huffed and slumped over. His muscles ached. His dry tongue swelled. "My lips are sealed."

"We'll get what we want, whether you have anything to say or not," Agaricus said. The acoustics carried his voice to the ends of the room. He turned to Mario and nodded.

"Your father would trade anything to have you back." Mario touched his fingertips together and leaned forward. "Including Peach."

Junior shuffled his legs to distract from their mounting soreness. "So you dragged me up here to rub it in my face?"

"Not exactly." Mario sighed. "I don't feel comfortable locking a kid up in the old dungeons."

"Lucky me, I've got 'Super Mario's' pity."

"Junior, your stay here could be very unpleasant unless you convince us that you are willing to cooperate," Mario said.

Junior bit back his fear. "I'd rather rot."

"Mario, enough of this palaver, we both know you cannot reason with his kind." Agaricus squeezed the armrests on his wheelchair.

The council murmured. Junior drew a long breath. Mario remained silent.

The throne room doors burst open. A pair of guards poured into the room. Their faces twisted with panic. "Come quick! I can't- I don't -"

His companion gasped. "Their ship. It's falling!"

The throne room's open doors offered a Junior a slight view of the outside. Servants and partygoers alike scrambled past the doorway. Mario leaped from his jeweled throne and shoved past the toads.

The court members surged past Junior and followed. Rook pushed Agaricus to the doorway.

Junior's gnashed his teeth and yanked his head back. The pillory's wheeled platform nudged forward and rocked back into place. The Maelstrom's shadow fell from the sky.

It disappeared from Junior's view. The crowd cried out. His mind conjured the Maelstrom's broken and splintered corpse. His brothers, his sister, mama Peach, gnawed and mangled in the wreckage. His jaw tightened. Angry tears dewed his eyes.

"Let me out!" Junior thrashed and snarled. He choked on his cries. "Let. Me. Out."

Mario returned. The king's face a cold pallor. His eyes locked on Junior's.

"Why did it crash?" Mario's voice trembled.

Junior's hard face cracked. A sob slipped his muzzle. "Something must've gone wrong with the engine, the ship was only a prototype."

Mario removed his crown and stared at it. The corners of his mouth twisted. His mustache contorted with his upper lip. His shoulders slumped and he stuttered a long exhale.

Armor clanked and rattled. Minerva and Vine waited in the doorway. They held their arms over their chests and bowed. Minerva spoke: "There might be survivors."

"Get a small outfit of the Queensguard together and meet me at the garage."

Vine cleared his throat. "Not to overstep my bounds your majesty, but if there are survivors we'll no doubt encounter Koopan opposition. We might need more muscle."

Mario trudged over to Junior and placed his hand on the pillory. "They won't lay a finger on us if they're smart."

Minerva nodded. "Lieutenant, you know what to do."

Vine saluted and shuffled from the throne room.

Mario approached Minerva. Her figure towered over him. He pointed to Junior. "Get him prepped."

"Sir." Minerva grabbed the leather muzzle from the ground. Junior bared his fangs and snapped at her. She reared her hand back to smack him. Junior closed his eyes and braced for impact. Minerva fastened the muzzle to his face.

Mario trudged to the door. His fists clenched. Rook wheeled Agaricus in front of him.

"Mario? Where are you going?" Agaricus said.

"Peach is out there." Mario pointed to the horizon.

"Mario, you can't just leave the castle on a whim." Agaricus shook his head and leaned forward. "It's terribly irresponsible to leave your subjects in such disarray."

"My wife needs me."

"Your kingdom needs you." Agaricus coughed into his fist. "What if something happens to you while you're out?"

"I can handle it." Mario bent his knees and flipped over the wheelchair. He landed with a bit of a stumble.

Out of practice, but still got it.

Rook whistled low and clapped. "Now that's why they call him 'Super Mario.'"

"Rook." Agaricus snapped.

"Don't listen to this old fart. If she's out there, she needs your help, now more than ever."

"Don't encourage him." Agaricus craned his neck over his shoulder and glared at his older brother.

"We can manage on our own here. We're experienced dealing with the Mushroomian populace. You're experienced in saving damsels in distress. Just get home before all the cake's gone." Rook beamed at Mario.

Junior watched Mario sprint out the door. Agaricus pounded his armrest and fumed at Rook. His face a shade of beet. Minerva unlatched the pillory and shoved Junior.

Junior snorted and stomped down the platform. Minvera kept at his heels. He limped past the dukes. Their glares on his back.

**X-X-X**

The automobile rocked on the untamed wild. It's thick tread tires kicked up loam and grass. The Malestrom's grave silhouette peered over the horizon line like driftwood on the sea.

Junior's occupied half of the back seat bench. Vine peeked over the steering wheel. Minerva sat in the seat beside him, her arms crossed.

Several yards away, Mario and a pack of Queensguard knights occupied an auto of their own.

"You know, that ship looks mostly intact, considering it just dropped out of the sky," Vine shouted over the roar of the open air.

Minerva either ignored him or chose not to respond.

Junior rolled his eyes. Cold and tough for no good reason. Just like someone else he knew.

The Maelstrom grew in form and shape. Mounds of earth packed in piles around the base. A wide valley cleft into the field. The storage level smashed open and crates spilled out like wooden entrails.

Vine eased on the break. The car rumbled to a stop. Mario pulled up beside them.

"Hate to be a walking cliche here, but it's too quiet," Vine said. He peeked left and right. His eyes trained on the Maelstrom's gaping wounds.

"Keep your wits about you, men." Minerva kicked open the car door and jumped out. She threw open Junior's door and grabbed him by the elbow.

Junior searched the wreckage. He imagined Roy, hidden in the dark corners of the ship. He would pounce and drop these jokers one after the other. If not him, Morton perhaps. Stars forbid, even Ludwig. Anyone would do.

The outfit stopped at an opening at the middle. They entered. Junior waited in the carved aperture.

A flame clicked and cracked. A light flickered within the bowels of the leviathan. The knights took drags of air, their helmets amplified the noise.

Minerva trekked towards the fire. She grabbed a splintered board from the floor and picked around for cloth. A greasy rag protruded from piles of packing straw. She plucked it and knotted it around the board. She approached the open flame and dipped the rag.

An orange blossom bloomed on the board. Her armor glimmered in the makeshift light. She tromped into the dark and squeezed the hilt of her sword.

A line of knights kept behind her. Mario jogged up to meet beside her. The oppressive black threatened to devour them.

Vine gestured for Junior to follow the crowd. He tapped his rapier's pommel with his index and middle finger. Junior got the message.

The planked floor sloped upward. Minerva grunted and fought the gradual incline. She propped herself on pipes in the wall. The procession slowed to a crawl until it grew too steep and they moved no longer.

Mario tensed his legs. "I think I can jump up there." He pointed to an artificial crag. A metal staircase outlined in the dark.

"It's too dangerous to go on your own." Minerva panted.

"Then I'll take this." He plucked the torch from her hand and catapulted himself forward. He caught the staircase with his free hand and dangled. His body outlined by the torch.

He climbed the stairs. The light disappeared. The knights slid down the bottom of the incline one by one.

"It's not fair. How does a guy with a potbelly jump that high?" Vine shook his head.

Minerva shrugged and kept her eyes on the stairs. A scream sent the knights into a flurry. "Of course," she unsheathed a pair of daggers from her belt and stomped up the incline once more. She jumped and stabbed the blades into the floor.

"That can't be good for those," Vine shouted up at her.

"Shut up, Lieutenant," Minerva growled and scaled the incline with the daggers. "And that's an order."

Junior watched her fade into the black, just as Mario had before. They got too cocky and paid the price, no doubt an ambush awaited. Junior grinned behind his muzzle.

They waited with bated breath. Junior's toes twitched. He watched the stairs for Roy's head. Instead, Mario's familiar red cap appeared. He hopped onto the incline and slid to the bottom.

Minerva followed and so did a group of moles and a single yellow shelled koopa-troopa.

The knights jumped back and drew their weapons. Mario shook his arms. "Whoa, back down."

The mole at the front dusted his coveralls and hobbled over to Junior. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. We all thought you'd cut and run back when this all mucked up earlier."

Junior cocked his head. He recognized the mole as Iggy's second in command. Ricky? Wrenchy? "Rmff?"

"Tell them what you told us, mole," Minerva said.

"Rocky, for the last time, it's Rocky." The mole waved his wrench at her.

"Just tell them."

"Can I at least get some fresh air first? I've been cooped up on this death trap for far too long."

"With that, I can agree." Vine chipped in. "This place is creeping me out."

Mario shrugged and raised the torch. The group tripped through the dark. Straggling rays of sunlight trickled through the openings in the ship's hull. They clambered beyond the threshold and into the scarred field.

Rocky shielded his eyes. The koopa-troop beside him dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. Rocky nudged Konrad with his foot. "On your feet Kon, you're makin' a fool of yourself."

The other moles basked in the evening sun. One with heavy eyelids mumbled silent prayers. By the grace of the Stars or whoever watched out for sky-faring moles, they survived.

"Alright, Rocky," Mario said and leaned against his auto, "you have the stage."

Rocky scratched his chin with his claws and yawned. He told them of the unstable reactor. The clones that stole away Peach. He told them of Ludwig, Roy and Larry, and the botched escape.

"You expect us to believe any of this?" Vine quirked an eyebrow and looked up at Minerva.

Rocky held his open paws chest level. "You can search the ship for clues all you'd like, but you'd only be wasting your time."

Mario paced the grass. His thumbs tucked under the straps of his coveralls. He plucked his hat from his head and fanned his face. "If there was some hidden force of koopas in that ship, we'd have run into them by now."

Vine steadied the rapier on his hip and shrugged. "Well, you're the king, right or wrong."

"Vine." Minerva stood in front of the lieutenant. "I will not tolerate such blatant insubordination."

"Relax. I'm not defying orders. Just disagreeing with them."

Mario shook his head and looked at Rocky. "Did they say where they were headed?"

"No, they didn't." Rocky curled his bottom lip inward and rubbed his neck.

"Judging from the Peach clone's harsh words about our sovereign, by my reckoning she means to attack him next," Kon said.

"Then there's no time to lose. Darklands here we come." Mario jumped into his auto and fired up the engine. The knights looked at one another.

"Your majesty, if I may." Minerva stepped forward.

Mario nodded at her.

"I would follow you through the gates of the underworld and back again, but, perhaps we should take a moment to gear up and plan for the journey. We'll be walking into enemy territory unprepared."

"I've done it loads of times on my own."

"Yes, but," Minerva sighed, "imagine if the king of your rival nation just marched over your borders. You would rightly attack him with all your might. You're not just Mario, you're the Mushroom Kingdom."

Mario conceded her point with a lowered head. The brim of his hat slouched. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. His mustache twitched. "Alright. Let's talk this out back at the castle. We'll never beat them back to Castle Koopa at this rate, but maybe we can kick the doors in."

The knights clambered into the vehicles once more. Junior slumped into the vehicle he rode in on. The moles and Konrad looked at one another.

"I think you're a little short on space."

Vine climbed into the driver's seat of his auto. "Of course not, if his majesty here sucks his gut in," Vine hiked his thumb and pointed at Junior, "and scoots over a pinch, I bet we can cram you all in."

Junior glared fire at Vine and kicked the back of his seat.

The minions shrugged and approached the car. Konrad placed his palm flat against his face. "I think he's being facetious, troops."

The moles squeezed next to Junior anyway. The koopa prince packed against the edge of the car. He growled at Vine.

"Better hurry up, Kon," Rocky peeked over the top of the pile, "else we'll leave without ya."

Konrad grimaced and climbed into the packed car. Vine revved the engine and threw the car into gear. Minerva planted herself in the seat beside him.

"Lieutenant, if this thing flips..."

"It won't."

The Darklanders cast each other nervous glances. The auto lurched into the motion. Mario sped towards the horizon.

**X-X-X**

Mario paced the throne room. His thumbs tucked under the straps of his coveralls. His hat sat on Peach's throne.

"Are you mad?!" Agaricus shuddered and coughed into his arm. "You can't just," Agaricus looked at his two hands and then up at Mario, "just take off on some rescue mission. It's one thing to journey out to the fields at the city limits..."

"I'm not asking permission." Mario picked up his hat from the throne and placed it on his head. "Unlike you, I'm not waiting for someone to go and save her."

"I understand what you want to do for her, believe me, I do." Agaricus's eyes drooped and he cupped his hand over his mouth, "but the highest office in the land can't just drop everything and run. It's your duty to your people."

Mario sighed and kneeled to Agaricus's level. "It's really flattering that you think people listen to me, but Peach is the brains of this operation, she really is. I'm just a plumber. Not a politician."

The former king nodded his head slowly. He slouched in his seat. "Bring her back safe."

"I always do." Mario pat Agaricus's wheelchair and rose. He cinched the straps on his overalls. A pert grin spread to his cheeks. Adventure at last. He strode to the throne room doors where Minerva waited.

Agaricus cleared his throat and called out: "Captain if you have a moment, I would like to speak to you."

Minerva looked at Mario. "Sir?"

"Go on, you know where to find me when you're ready." Mario swept his hand towards the king.

Minerva nodded and stood before Agaricus. The final rays of sun cast kaleidoscopic colors on her armor. Agaricus waited a moment until Mario was out of earshot.

"Walk me to the trophy room. I've something I need to show you."

Cool evening air poured in from the hole in the castle foyer. She approached the nearest elevator and set it to the highest level. Through the sleeping halls where castle servants finished their day's work and others wandered the ruby carpets conversing with friends.

Nearest Peach's quarters was the trophy room.

A mob of taxidermy animals lined the walls. A wild saurian creature with teal scales squatted on all fours beside a clutch of juveniles. Their glass eyes glared from their sockets. Various swords and bows hung from displays on the walls. Exotic and ornamental, with guards too heavy and blades too dull to see use in combat.

Agaricus pointed to a portrait of his late wife. Her golden hair tied into a bun and her chin angular. She stared beyond the painting with warm eyes and a patient smile. "Take it off the wall. Careful please."

Minerva removed her gauntlets and set them on a wooden side table. She eased the painting and set it on the ground. There were rows of bricks just a pinch discolored.

Agaricus reached into his shirt and pulled out a key on a chain fastened to his neck. He removed it and raised it to Minerva. "Second from the top, fifth from the left. Press it."

She took the key and counted the bricks with her finger. She found the loose one and pushed. It slid in easily with her hand. The other bricks lurched and spread open like a stone curtain. A cast iron door remained. A small keyhole in the middle.

Minerva pinched the key and fit it into the lock. She twisted her wrist and the door clunked open. Amid worn books with yellowed pages and boxes of photographs lay a sword fitted with a velvet scabbard. A jeweled star fixed into the circular pommel.

"Go on, take it."

Minerva did as she was told and held the weapon in her hand. The grip felt warm on her skin. It pulsed against her bare palm in a soft and deliberate rhythm. "Like a heart," she mumbled. She unsheathed it and inspected the blade.

On the surface, it was altogether unremarkable in appearance. A simple longsword like the many she wielded before. Yet, it breathed and roused at her touch.

"I call it 'Kingsbane,' a fitting name by," Agaricus stared at his legs, "many counts." Agaricus' brow furled. His jaw flexed. "Are you familiar with the concept of an 'Ember?'"

Minerva shook her head.

"It is the key to the vilest of Koopan sorceries." Agaricus cast his eyes upon the blade. "It is the source of their powers, independent and yet intertwined with their very souls."

Minerva sheathed the blade and placed it on a table. Her stomach churned. The blade rattled and shivered.

"I harnessed the power of one such Ember." Agaricus glowered at the blade. "And what power it is. Armor cannot stop it. Flesh and bone rend like butter. Wounds never heal and consume the afflicted until their true demise."

"Sir, why are you giving this to me and not the king?"

"Because he refused it." Agaricus sighed. "He's too soft-hearted for what I ask of you."

Minerva's breath quickened.

"He believes there to be good in the beast's character." Agaricus clenched his fists. "And look what his 'goodnatured' move has wrought on my people. On my daughter. No more."

Minerva watched the blade. Her fingers twitched.

"When my daughter is safe, end the reign of King Koopa once and for all."

The captain of the guard picked up the blade by its scabbard. She clasped it to her hip. It trembled on her leg, thirsty for blood.

**X-X-X**

Dusty tomes filled bookcase after bookcase. A crystal chandelier illuminated the room. A row of long tables fitted with wooden seats sat in the center of the library. The tiled floor patterned after the likeness of a star.

Mario stood in the center of a gathering crowd.

Daisy held her hands akimbo. An icepack fastened to her head with a strap. She tapped her foot and leaned over Mario. "We're going with you, no buts."

"But I need someone to watch the little guy while I'm gone." Mario bounced his giggling son in his arms. "He'll be most comfortable with you two. Besides, I need someone here to keep these moles in check."

Luigi turned from his spouse to his brother and back again. "Maybe he's right Daisy-" She shot him a furious glare. His lips floundered shut.

"Oi, no one's keeping me in check." Rocky weaseled into the argument. "I'm not sitting on my claws while you get all the fun. I want that blond rat's ragged head on a pike."

Mario drew a long breath and raised his free hand. "Calm down, we just need a small team. Too many people will bog us down."

Daisy pointed at the mole and jutted her chin outwards. "If he goes, we're definitely coming with."

"Do you need my bloody resume or something? I know the ins and outs of the Darklands."

"That's what Junior's for, actually," Luigi interjected.

"Who asked you?"

"I could watch the baby."

The agonistic crowd paused and faced the corner of the room. Petra tucked her black hair behind her ear and bowed once. A bashful smile on her lips. "I mean, we seem to get along." She stood beside Mario and held her arm out to his son. The towheaded child held his arms out to her and she lifted him. "I know it's not my place, but if it were me about to go on an adventure, I wouldn't sneeze at help."

Mario tousled his mustache and exhaled. "We leave in an hour."

Daisy grabbed Luigi's arm and dashed from the library with the man in tow. Rocky waddled up to Mario and looked up at the king. His goggled eyes narrowed. "That includes me, right?"

"On one condition."

"Course there is."

Mario's eyes softened. "Help keep Junior in check. He might listen better if there's a familiar face to lead by example."

Rocky nodded. "Aye, er, your majesty. But I have got a condition of my own."

Mario groaned and dragged his hands over his face. "What?"

"Kon comes with too. He's smart and knows the country better'n even master Bowser I wager."

"Just be sure you're both ready to leave soon. Peach'll be locked up in the Darklands before I get out the front door at this rate."

"Won't let you down." Rocky waddled through the library doors.

Mario paced the room and sat at the table beside a bleary-eyed Bowser Junior. The koopa prince turned away from the king and sulked. Mario reached behind Junior's head and fiddled with the straps. "You bite me, and we're sewing this thing to your head."

Junior grunted and his forehead bunched. The muzzle dropped from Junior's face and onto the table. Junior rubbed his cheek on his forearm. "What do you want?"

"Your help. If that mole is telling the truth, then it's not just Bowser I need to worry about."

"You, king of the Mushroom people, actually believe a Darklander?"

"He's got no reason to lie, plus he's got a literal boatload of proof." Mario rubbed the wells of his eyes with his thumbs and yawned. "Like it or not we both have loved ones that need saving."

The koopa prince sniffled and flexed his fingers. What would Papa do? Well, he did worked with Mario on sparse occasions. "If I say yes, we're still not friends, got it?"

"I don't need a friend, I need an ally."

Junior growled and raised his restrained wrists. "You win." Mario fished a key from his overall pocket and unlatched his cuffs. They clanked and rattled to the floor. Junior rubbed the scales on his forearms. "Alright, now let's get this over with."

Mario left the library and traveled the castle towards the garage. Lieutenant Vine paced the concrete floor with hands clasped behind his back. He looked a different toad in casual gear.

A pair of guards loaded his equipment into an armored truck.

"Oh hey Mario, I was just-" Vine bit his tongue, he snatched his rapier from the back of the truck and pointed it at Junior's throat, "get behind me, your highness! I'll hold him off."

Junior quirked his eyebrow and looked at Mario.

"Relax, he promised to be on his best behavior." Mario grabbed Vine's wrist and lowered his sword.

Vine leaned towards Mario. "Isn't he, you know, one of the people responsible for this mess."

"And he's the only one who can get us over the border in one piece."

Vine sheathed his rapier and tucked it into the armored truck once more. He cast a suspicious glance at Junior. He pointed two fingers at his own eyes then at Juniors. Junior snorted and folded his arms.

"Where do they make losers like you?" Junior scowled.

"Your highness, I strongly urge you to bring the muzzle back before I let all the hot air out of him with a few strategically placed holes," Vine's lips pursed. His upper eyelids narrowed.

Mario snapped his fingers in their faces and cleared his throat. "You two better learn to play nice, or you're in for a long trip."

The garage was silent. The guards assisting Vine sheathed their weapons. Their gloved hands hovered over the hilts. Their attentions stolen by the koopa prince. Junior stuck his tongue at them and shoved past Vine.

Junior mumbled and slumped into a vehicle.

Vine tapped his foot. "You're just going to let him talk to me like that?" He flailed his arm in front of Mario and grit his teeth.

"You should see his brothers." Mario scrunched his nose. "Or his dad. This is pretty tame as far as koopas go."

Vine drew air through his nose and closed his eyes. "Oh Seven Stars, give me patience, give me strength."

"Save your prayers for the trip, we're going to need it." Mario placed his hands on Vine's shoulder and shook his head. He released the toad and headed back towards the castle.

"Wait, you can't leave me with him."

"It's only for a moment, I just need to check on the others."

Vine watched Mario leave and slowly turned to face Junior. The koopa prince sat in the passenger seat of the auto Vine drove earlier that day. "You can't sit there."

"I was here first."

"It's my car."

"I was here first." Junior glared and bared his teeth.

Vine looked at the guards. They shrugged and set back to work. Vine rubbed his temples and resumed his prayer from earlier.

**X-X-X**

Luigi and Daisy sat in the backseat of Mario's auto. Minerva occupied the passenger seat. Luigi peeked out his window and watched the lieutenant's car hobble down the road. Junior's thick frame visible beneath the streetlamps. Rocky and Konrad sat beside the prince and remained still.

"Why is it always Peach's parties?" Luigi grumbled.

"You didn't have to come." Mario stopped at a red sign and swiveled his head left and right a few times. He depressed the gas pedal and rolled further along Toadtown central.

"Come on Lu, I just love a man with a sense of adventure." Daisy ribbed her husband. The green-clad plumber blushed. "Besides, I owe Roy Koopa a broken face for this lump on my head. "

Minerva grinned at Mario and pointed her thumb back at Daisy. "I like this one."

Luigi's mustache twitched. The captain of the guard looked surprisingly human without her horned helm and silver armor. Though, no less threatening. Her face decorated with pale scars and frigid blue irises that burned the soul.

Lambent neon signs flittered through the night like startled will-o-wisps. Luigi pressed his face against the glass and squinted. They passed an 'Italian' restaurant loaded with guests. The food tasted good, but not like mama used to make. He wondered if he would even recognize the taste of fresh Earth tomatoes.

The stuff nabbed in the portal market was cheap canned crud he used to buy at Anthony's Grocers. Back in the yonder days where the paycheck was king.

If someone told the old him that he would be galavanting on epic quests with royalty, he might ask them what they were smoking and if he could have a puff.

Daisy hooked her arm around his and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. The auto slowed in the parking lot of a train station. From the street level, they saw lines of toads that shuffled onto departures and patient loved ones in search of arrivals.

Mario parked beside an armored truck. A few castle guards chattered in the parking lot. Their conspicuous scabbards dangled from their hips. One carried a spear.

Vine's auto screeched into a spot next to them and he stormed out of the vehicle. "That's it, I've had it up to here with koopas."

Junior stomped up to the guards posted at the truck and tapped his foot. "Can I please have my shell now?" The koopa teen wore a t-shirt one size too small with a faded band logo and taut sweat pants. Leftover clothes once owned by a clubba servant they cobbled together from the castle laundry.

"Good luck sir, we're rooting for you." The guards bowed their heads in a brief salute for Mario and chuckled at Junior. "And tough luck kid, but your things have already been loaded onto the train.

Junior rolled his eyes and stood behind Mario.

Mario and his crew followed behind him in a loose line. They clambered up a flight of stairs and stopped at a door with a blue sign that read "staff only." A female toad in a white skirt and blue blouse nodded. "Welcome, your highness."

"Thanks for getting us seats on such short notice." Mario nodded.

"It's my pleasure to serve." She punched in a code on the door's keypad and held the door open for the intrepid crew. She shirked a tad when Junior walked past her. "Er, you didn't mention him."

"Don't worry, he's on a short leash," Vine reassured the toadess.

They followed the path and circumvented the crowds. Chatter rumbled from within the station in a dull roar. A calm male voice announced an arrival on the intercom. A muzak saxophone tune paused and resumed.

Mario and company approached a boarding platform. The conductor shuffled to meet them. He bowed his head and gestured for the train. "Right on time! Yes, good, now get on. Quicklike, before we're behind schedule."

The crew wasted no time in boarding. Packed side by side, the problems with Junior's size became manifest. The train was built for toad passengers. Junior, even in his young age, stood almost as tall as a toad and a half.

Junior felt the weight of the passenger's stares mount on his back. He heard them whisper and grow quiet when he got too close. Much as he expected the reaction, it still hurt.

"This is why you can't wear your shell yet." Mario motioned to Junior's size. "Sheesh, what does your dad feed you? I remember when you were half as tall as Peach."

Of all the koopalings Mario was stuck on a train with, he was glad it was one of the younger guys. Morton and Roy were practically Bowser sized, if not bigger. Mario imagined his own son down the line and realized there was a high chance his wife's genetics carried.

He shelved the thought of being the shortest monarch in Mushroom Kingdom history and ducked into his cabin. A single bed fixed with blue bedsheets greeted him. A portion of his luggage sat atop the bed sheets. A miniature refrigerator was fixed into the ground and tucked beside a vanity mirror and sink. A television screen was mounted on the wall.

He collapsed onto the bed and stared the ceiling. His eyelids grew heavy. Yet sleep failed him. He missed his wife's presence, her gentle sighs as she settled into sleep. He turned on the television and set it to a random program and tried his best to tune out his thoughts.

"Stonekeeper Village here we come."

**X-X**

Vine focused on the rattle of the train. A rhythmic thrum that tickled his ear drums. He squeezed his eyes shut and dreamed up a poster image. "Join the Queensguard today," and behind the gaudy text would be a picture of him stuck in a small room with one of Bowser's demon spawn and two of his minions.

A small snort and a whimper woke Vine. He sat up in his bunk and bumped his head on the ceiling. He rubbed his sore fore head; an annoyed grunt parted his lips. "That's what I get for calling topsies," Vine mumbled and peeked over the bunk.

Bowser Junior lay flat on an improvised pallet of blankets and a pair of spare mattresses. He twisted on his side and clutched at his pillow. Pearls of sweat trickled down his forehead and glimmered in the dim light.

"Uh, hey," Vine whispered, careful not to wake his other 'roommates,' "kid you okay?"

No answer save a pitiful whimper. Vine groaned and covered his ears. He cursed his rotten luck a thousand times over.

"Whichever Star is in charge of dreams and sleep, you're being a real jerk right now." He grumbled and drummed his fingers on his mattress. He hooked his legs over the top bunk and dropped to the floor with a light thud. His sleep clothes billowed off of his slender frame. He prodded Junior with his foot and sat on the ground beside him.

Junior's eye cracked open. He bared his teeth and growled at the darkness. Until he recognized the toad. "Oh, it's you."

"Duh, it's me." Vine stretched and scratched his ear. "Listen, kid, some of us are trying to sleep here, and this whole restless whimpering schtick is getting old fast."

Junior's cheeks flushed. He bit the inside of his cheek and stared at his pillow. "Yeah, well, you can go sleep in the hall if you're so bothered."

"Please, I'm the youngest of four. The day I give up top bunk is the day I buy a summer home in Snowcap. No, we're going to figure out how to stop this nonsense, and that way I don't smother you with a pillow in your sleep." Vine leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

"It was just a bad dream." Junior sprawled on his back and stared at the ceiling. "We were at the Maelstrom again, but this time it was different. We found everyone."

"Spooky."

"But they were all," Junior gulped, "all mangled up. Peach, my brothers, my sister, the crew. Just, broken and in pieces."

"Oh." Vine's mouth quirked down.

"And now every time I close my eyes, I see it again." Junior's chest trembled. "I barely recognize them."

"Well, hey, that's an easy thing to debunk." Vine shrugged. "Obviously we didn't find anything like that."

"But that doesn't mean they're safe." Junior sniffled, his mouth flapped faster. "I-I wished for one of my brothers to get hurt, and now it's coming true. I didn't mean it, though, the Stars are supposed to know when you don't mean it, though, aren't they?"

Now, all of a sudden, an oversized dewy-eyed child sat beforeVine. A lost one, far from loved ones and the familiar haunts of home. One that was stuck in an unfamiliar place with strangers who hated him. Vine coughed into his arm and rubbed the back of his head.

"Listen, kid, er, Junior." Vine sighed. "You realize that a Star wouldn't ever grant a wish like that?"

Junior shook his head and wiped his face.

"Trust me. If the Stars granted my every wish, I'd be a lot lonelier at family reunions." Vine chuckled and scratched his chin. "And hey, if your sibs are anything like your dad, then it's going to take a lot to put 'em down."

"But they aren't like papa," Junior rubbed his eyes, "they're adopted."

"Say what?" Vine cocked his head. The koopalings were adopted? From where? He shook his head and resumed. "That's beside the point. They're bullfaced monsters that can breathe fire, they're enough like your dad to survive a lot of crap."

Junior closed his eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"If you're so unsure, did it ever occur to you that the Stars might grant a wish for their safety?"

Junior's eyes flashed open and he turned his head towards Vine.

"I mean, they're kinda fickle beings, aren't they?" Vine shrugged. "But it can't hurt. If it-" Vine almost choked on the next sentence, "if it makes you feel better, I can make a wish too. Double their chances."

"You'd do that?" Junior's face lit up. A nice change of pace from the cold glares he exhibited the entire day.

"Sure." Vine yawned and climbed up the bunk bed once more. "I'll make my wish before I go to sleep again, and then you do the same."

Junior nodded. "Uh, thanks, Lieutenant."

"Just Vine is fine." He enunciated the phrase deliberate and practiced, like a slogan. The toad arched his back and stretched his arms above his head.

"Okay, goodnight Vine."

"Goodnight." He rolled over and peeked at the window and wondered if fire and brimstone would begin to rain from the sky, the crown prince of the Koopa Kingdom just genuinely thanked him.

**X-X-X**

Light crawled beneath the door and a shadow split it down the middle. A pair of clawed toes were visible in the gap between the door and the floor. Iggy's right eye seared with pain. He winced and wiped an involuntary tear from his cheek.

"So Ysgra used to be a good guy?" Iggy said.

Bigmouth's shadow bobbed in the door. "Yeah, but I mean like, not a good guy good guy. More like a good guy who isn't afraid to do bad things in the name of good."

"You're looking for the term 'anti-hero.'"

"Yeah, took the words right out of my mouth. But anyway, his like, his girlfriend died. They weren't an official item, though, he denied it in front of others, but they were into each other. He lost his chance to really show his love because she died in the Crystal War."

"I thought the main story took place during the Crystal War?"

"No, no, it's the second Crystal War in the current arc. The first Crystal War was the one with the two high kings and their frightening ambition gone unchecked. Stars, I loved that arc. That was the one where I knew I was in for the ride of my life - er..."

The shadow disappeared beneath the door.

"Bigmouth?" Iggy's voice sounded more panicky than he intended.

"Sorry, be back in a moment."

Iggy shook his head and snorted. He found it hard to believe the person on the other side of the door spawned from Morton. His younger brother used to talk everyone's ears off back in the day but he changed one day.

The thought set Iggy's mind to work. Imperfect clones with imperfect memories. This Morton was happily unaware of the 'one day' and what went down. The closest Iggy had ever been to a snapshot into an alternate future.

"Jeez. Roy's an ass in that future." Iggy's bloodied lip tingled. For once in his life, Iggy was thankful for the Roy he was used to. Bigmouth's voice returned, and another joined him. Iggy scooted closer to the door and listened.

"Oh! Uh, Amanita might not like you being alone with him and I'm on thin ice as it is. One more slip up and I'm-"

"I just need a few minutes with him."

A stream of light blinded Iggy. He shielded his good eye and gasped. A squat figure shuffled into the room. A blob of colors that melded together in Iggy's poor vision. "Lemmy?"

The light disappeared and the door clicked shut. "Nope, but close," said Hip.

Iggy growled.

"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you." Hip fiddled with the light switch. He flicked it up and down.

"Don't bother. Your brother took the lightbulb before he left."

"He's thorough, I'll give him that." Hip squinted and felt his way through the dark. He plopped down beside Iggy.

Iggy shirked and leaned away. "What do you want?"

"Special delivery." Hip grabbed Iggy's hand and tucked the pink canister between his fingers.

Iggy recognized the shape and weight in his palm. "Where did you-"

"Lemmy found it." Hip hummed an aimless tune. "I had to stop him from bringing it to you himself, Amanita would've pitched a fit if I left you two alone together."

Iggy's mouth twitched and he squeezed his medicine. "Thanks." He rubbed the cap with his thumb.

"What are brother's for?"

"Hate to burst your bubble, but we're not brothers."

"Hop's my brother, and you're kinda the same person as him, so you're kinda my brother too."

Iggy shook his head. "You're not even a real person. Just some sort of freakish illusion brought on by that...that flash."

"I feel real. So I must be right?" Hip tilted his head.

Iggy set the medicine in his lap.

Hip jumped to his feet. "I'm going to have to ask Lemmy what's got your head all up in a knot. Hop better not end up like you."

"You might have him fooled, but I know your game." Iggy tucked his knees to his chest.

"What game?"

"How else did your brothers know to ambush us at the lifeboats?" Iggy climbed to his feet and limped against the wall. "Lemmy told you, and you told your brothers, ya little sneak."

Hip held a hand to his face and shook his head. "I never said a word to anyone." Hip's knees trembled. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Tell that to the guys who went down with the Maelstrom." Iggy fumed.

"But Amanita said they were all on board here."

"Don't you dare play dumb with me." Iggy jabbed Hip's chest with his claw.

"I-I'm not." Hip's mouth sagged. The sad contours of his brow visible in low light. A soft Lemmy-like whimper emanated from his closed lips. Iggy followed Hip's eyes and watched the lazy one slowly focus.

"You really don't know." Iggy inched away from Hip. "A lot of friends went down with that ship."

"That's what's eating you up." Hip shifted his stance. "Iggy I had no idea, I swear."

Iggy bowed his head and bit his bottom lip. "If you really mean it, let us go."

"That's a tall order." Hip paced and held his hand over his head. "And Bully'll make short work of me. I can only help with little stuff."

Iggy's rubbed his bruised cheek. There was only one other avenue of escape. "Then can you tell Wendy and Morton something for me?"

"Of course."

"Let the know I'm okay and not to worry about me."

"Uh, okay. I can do that." Hip shuffled to the door. "That's all? Really?"

Iggy hoped the simple message conveyed his point. "It's important they know."

Hip nodded. "I'll get it to them as soon as I can. When, uh, Bully isn't on watch."

Iggy stared at the floor. "Alright then."

"I hope Bigmouth isn't treating you too bad, he's all talk. He really won't do anything bad to you."

"We've been getting along fine...all things considered." Iggy coughed. "You're right about one thing. He's all talk."

"Some might consider that a torture itself."

"It beats the alternative." Iggy pointed to the purple bruises on his cheek.

Hip watched Iggy a moment longer then tromped to the door. The injured and ratty koopaling fussed with his hair and wiped his nose on his arm. Hip slipped out of the room, and darkness surrounded Iggy again.

"Hey, Iggy." Bigmouth's voice boomed from the other side of the door.

"Er, hey." Iggy scooted close to the door again and put his back to the wall.

"Spill the beans, what did Hip want with you?"

"Just to talk."

"Huh. If you say so. He had a pink thing and I wasn't sure what it was. He didn't have it when he left. Did he leave it with you?"

Iggy weighed the canister in his hand. "Nope. No idea what you're talking about."

"Well. Okay then. Just thought I'd ask."

"So, uh, the first Cyrstal War."

"Oh yeah! So that arc is like the all-time best and it really just brings new light to all of the characters involved and..."

Bigmouth yammered on and on. Iggy closed his eyes and kept his attention astute to the best of his abilities. He set the cannister on his thigh and drew an even breath between his teeth.

**X-X-X**

Ludwig jerked awake to gentle prodding. He brushed the crust from his eyes and rubbed the drool from the corner of his lips with his thumb. He cast a careful glance to the fields and trees. A low fog rolled through the grasses and around the river banks.

"The sun's up?" Ludwig's jaw contorted and a gulp of air swooshed down his windpipe. "The sun's up." His thoughts became limpid. "Larry you were supposed to wake me up-" He did some reckoning in his head and considered the angles of the shadows on the landscape, "I don't know, but it should've been before dawn."

"Larry's still asleep, doofus." Cheatsy flicked Ludwig's cheek.

Ludwig gasped and snarled. He tumbled backward and twisted up in his bedroll like an insect in a spider's web. He shoved off the fabric and pushed to his feet. He flexed his right-hand claws.

Cheatsy stretched his arms over his head. "Relax would ya? Sheesh."

"I should've tied you to a tree." Ludwig panted. He readjusted his bedroll.

"Nothing stopped you."

"Larry asked me not to." Ludwig smoothed back his bedraggled hair.

Cheatsy rubbed his chin, he seemed amused. "And you listened to baby bro?"

"He made a good point." Ludwig glowered. "You're his clone, and he doesn't know the first thing about wilderness survival."

Cheatsy's grin vanished. "I could just hop from town to town, no big."

"Let's face it, you and Larry aren't as small as you used to be. A six-foot tall monster isn't getting very far in a town full of toads." Ludwig bunched up his bed roll. "You wouldn't last a day on your own."

Cheatsy frowned at Larry. The young koopaling was curled up on his belly in a feline manner at his post. His chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm.

Ludwig picked through his rucksack for his canteen and chugged hearty gulps of water. He wiped his lips on his arm. "Since you're up, you can help with breakfast." Ludwig grabbed an empty canteen and tossed it to Cheatsy. "Fill it up."

"Oh goody. More gruel." Cheatsy flicked up the cap of the canteen and rifled through Larry's supplies for the purifier pump. "Hey, survival guru, why don't we got hunting or foraging for real food?"

"We don't need to." Ludwig pointed his claws into the fire pit and reignited a fresh pile of kindling.

"You don't know how do you?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "The longer we're in MK territory, the worse off we are, and unless we really need it, we don't have enough time to track down prey or forage for food."

"I bet Roy is better at hunting than you, and you're just salty about it."

"Nice try, kid, but your words are merely that. Words. No amount of pestering is going to convince me." Ludwig huffed. "Besides, I'm far better at hunting than he is."

"Right, right." Cheatsy flicked his wrists and wore a sarcastic grin. "Big ol' blue marshmallow like yourself ought to be a master."

Ludwig hurled a rock at Cheatsy. The mock-koopaling dodged the rock and laughed. "I'm starting to wonder if you missed me on purpose yesterday or if you really can't aim."

Ludwig drew deep breaths through his nostrils and exhaled out his mouth. The eldest koopaling plodded to the river with the canteen in hand. He stretched out his hand towards Cheatsy. "If you're intent on being useless, let me get the water."

Cheatsy tossed the purifier pump to Ludwig.

Ludwig fumbled the catch and nearly dropped it.

"Nice catch."

Ludwig grumbled and knelt beside the river. He dropped the acorn shaped nib into the water and propped his canteen beside a spigot on his end of the pump. He worked the mechanism and clean water drizzled out.

Content with his haul, he set to work on breakfast. He left the water to boil and approached Larry. He grabbed Larry's elbow and shook him twice.

Larry's eyes creaked open. He twisted his neck and it popped. "My shift again?"

"It's morning."

"Morning!" Larry scrambled to his feet and brushed the stray blades of grass off his undergarments. "Stars, I just closed my eyes for a second. I didn't mean to, please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." Ludwig pinched the bridge of his own muzzle. "Yesterday was rough on all of us."

Larry's face burned red and he sighed.

Ludwig patted his younger brother's shoulder. "No time to dwell. We've got places to be."

Larry nodded. "Okay Luddy, what can I do?"

"Roy's bandages need to be changed and his salve reapplied." Ludwig hiked his thumb at the snoring koopaling.

Larry grimaced and scrunched his forehead. Ludwig chuckled.

"Thought so." Ludwig clomped to the campfire with Larry behind him. "Then you can make breakfast."

Larry squatted beside the campfire and grabbed a few brown food packets. Cheatsy interrupted his own meandering and joined Larry by the fire. The two chattered, though Ludwig cared not what the clone had to say.

Ludwig grabbed Roy's medical bag and sat beside Roy's bedroll.

Roy's snoring ceased. The cloth fastened over his eyes ruffled. "Morning Luddy."

"How'd you know it was me?"

"I could smell you a mile away."

"At least it wasn't a fat joke." Ludwig grabbed a clear bottle of salve and bottle of red potion. "Alright, now for the fun part."

Roy sat up and readjusted his blinders. Ludwig peeled back the bandages on Roy's arm. Tributaries of cracks spread atop the white crust. Ludwig handed Roy the potion.

"This is the red one, isn't it?"

"Yup."

"I'll pass."

"Suit yourself." Ludwig drizzled the salve onto the wound. "Glad we didn't wait much longer. Your 'sleepy sand' was starting to wear off."

Roy snorted and flexed his arm. Foam plugged the cracks. "Hardy har." He grunted and gasped. He fumbled with the cap on his red potion and chugged it. His snout scrunched. "I hate this stuff. I hate it. So. Damn. Much."

"It's medicine. It's not made for taste." Ludwig plugged the wound with a bandage.

Larry approached the two with a bowl of hot gruel. "Food's done." He placed the steaming bowl beside Roy and grinned. "You didn't whine when Peach was fixing you up."

"If I didn't have to let this arm sit I would punch you."

"Yeah leave him alone Larry, he's not allowed to be fragile in front of the ladies." The blindfold-free brothers grinned at each other. Ludwig's tongue dangled from the side of his mouth as he strapped the bandage down. "There, and there. Good as I can get it."

"That's reassuring." Roy's cheeks tightened.

"I'm ninety percent sure it won't fall off while we walk." Ludwig zipped the duffel bag closed.

Larry huddled beside the fire and scooped himself a bowl of food. Cheatsy picked at his and gagged it down mouthful by mouthful. Ludwig grunted and took his seat.

They ate to an ambient chorus of the wind and trickling water.

Ludwig was first to speak again. "Been meaning to ask, you bring anything good in that bag of yours?" He pointed at Larry's leather satchel.

"Oh. Well." Larry sighed. "No. Just an empty bag of chips and a charger for my electronics. The Lemmy and Iggy clone cleaned it out."

"Finders, keepers." Cheatsy shrugged.

Larry elbowed his clone. "I figure the bag might still be useful."

"Iggy put it together, right?" Ludwig licked the remains of his bowl clean.

"Yeah. For my birthday."

"Then at least it won't fall apart on you."

"It'll just overload and sic a bunch of evil clones on your butt," Roy grumbled.

"Hey, he's not to blame for that." Ludwig glanced over his shoulder at the Maelstrom's distant wreckage."It was my plan that failed and my fault we had to push the reactor."

The koopalings watched Ludwig. Larry opened his mouth to speak but lost courage in his words. Instead, Cheatsy spoke.

"At least you didn't fileted by a girl dressed up as a tin can." Cheatsy pointed his foot at Roy and ate another mouthful of food. "Ugh, terrible."

"Why you-"

"Maybe it doesn't matter who did what," Larry mumbled. "We all did something stupid yesterday."

Roy's jaw clenched shut. He grunted and lowered his head.

"Yeah. Leaving your brother to die? That's cold." Cheatsy added.

The three brothers glowered at Cheatsy. The clone held up his hand and shrunk. "Just sayin'."

Ludwig rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Larry's got a point. We've got bigger things to worry about. Like what Peach's clone has in store for Bowser, or worse yet, our home."

Cheatsy shuffled uncomfortably and bit his bottom lip. "She's a total nut."

Ludwig quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well uh, I really can't get a read on her. There's something wrong with her eyes. She says she wants the MK throne, but, that's just her word. She offered Kooky the throne, and we listen to him."

"Why would anyone listen to that lunatic?"

"Because he's got an even scarier lunatic for a pal: Bully." Cheatsy sighed. "You think I saddled up with Amanita because I liked it? It was for my health! Gotta look out for the single most important person in my life, me." He poked his thumb into his chest. "And if that means following orders from her, or even hiking with you bozos, then I'll do it."

"At least he's honest." Roy shrugged.

"Indeed." Ludwig narrowed his eyes at the clone. "I think it's time we pack up. The faster we're home, the quicker we can deal with that witch."

Ludwig wrangled his bedroll and doused the fire with a canteen. "Larry, help Roy with his things. I'll clean the dishes and refill the water."

The crew spent a good half hour cleaning and packing.

Ludwig returned and hooked propped his rucksack onto his back. He fastened his shell over it and grimaced. "Stupid Bowser and his stupid shell dress code. I have half a mind to leave this thing."

"Oh Stars, please don't." Cheatsy covered his face. "My eyes can only stand so much."

"Hey Luddy, leave it for his sake." Roy snickered and stumbled. He carried his duffle bag over his neck and a rucksack beneath his shell. A blind pack mule.

Larry took Roy by the hand and led him.

"Alright, Larry." Ludwig stretched and scratched his cheeks. "You know the Agari Plains best, where to?"

"It's just a straight shot to the mountains. All we need to do is cut through the field." Larry pointed to the Eastern horizon.

"Pft, that's dumb." Cheatsy shook his head. "I say we follow the river. It'll take longer, but we'll have water every time we stop. Better yet, we'll end up in Pinebrook."

"Nobody asked you." Roy snipped.

"No, no." Larry tugged Roy's hand. "He's totally right! Pinebrook should be safe."

'What's in Pinebrook?" Roy looked at Ludwig.

"Koopas." Cheatsy grinned.

"Defectors, you mean." Ludwig quirked his brow and frowned at Larry.

"Last time I was here, they had little love for the monarchy." Larry tugged at Roy's hand and led him to the riverside.

"Yeah. Imagine being a koopa on this side of the Koophari." Cheatsy nodded. "Mushroomers tolerate you, but all those dirty looks you get in the cities-"

"No wonder they made a village." Larry finished. "Come on, it can't be far from here."

"Larry..."

"Come on Luddy. Just trust me. I know I'm right on this."

Ludwig looked at the crashed pod and the destroyed trees. The depressed grass where Larry passed out on his watch. Then, at Cheatsy. The mock-koopaling dutifully carried his bags and stood beside Larry and Roy.

"Don't let me down, kid." Ludwig trudged along the riverbank.

And the brothers pressed on.


	6. Technical Difficulties

###  **Chapter 6: Technical Difficulties**

The princess dashed on the garden paths. Her finery frayed at the heels. She lifted her dress to let her better run. She squealed with laughter and dared her friend to race.

Servants trimmed hedges and plucked fruits and tidied flower beds. A crew of carpenters built the frame of a white gazebo. They waved at the princess and her friend.

"W-wait." Her friend gasped and leaned over his knees.

The princess smoothed the wrinkles on the pink silk of her dress. "I'm wearing a dress and you still can't keep up."

"This thing is way heavier than a dress."

"What happened to 'Nah, it's no problem, I wear it all day?'"

He pouted and his upper body slumped.

"I'm just teasing, ya big baby." She took care not to trip over her dress and she reached her hand out to him. "You're gonna miss it if we don't hurry."

He took her hand and she guided him to the rear entrance to the garden. The moon and sun occupied the same sky at once. A brother and sister wishing each other well. The horizon a bowl of pink lemonade.

They tromped uphill and he stumbled halfway. She skidded to a halt on her heels, ducked back and helped him to his feet. The first stars of the evening twinkled in the deep blue sky.

Iridescent colors streaked the firmament and the star roads became visible. Their hues shifted and faint sparkles rode the curves and twists. Brilliant balls of fire descended to the horizon.

"Quick, quick," she clasped her friend's hands with hers, "make a wish."

"Uh, okay."

They bowed their heads and closed their eyes.

"I wish..."

"No. Don't say it out loud or it doesn't come true."

"Who says?"

"The rules say, duh."

They wished with all their hearts and opened their eyes to drink up the spectacle. Distant figures gathered in the fields. Toad Town's lights dimmed and parades began in the square. She and her friend sat on the grass and stared into the vast blanket of the night sky.

"Do these wishes really come true?"

The princess faced her friend. "Of course they do."

"Can they bring people back?"

The princess's grin fell and she scanned the sky. "That's asking a lot of the Stars."

"How so? Aren't they supposed to be all powerful." He rolled his eyes and leaned over his knees.

She tucked a lock of her golden hair behind her ear, "maybe they aren't strong enough for it. Bringing someone back's gotta be a lot of work."

Her friend plucked a long strand of grass and pulled it to small pieces. His face scrunched. "Can I make a new wish, or is that against the rules too?"

"I don't think so."

He closed his eyes and propped his head on his knees. His eyelids cracked open. He snuffled a little.

"Sorry." She reached out and stroked the back of his head.

"It's not your fault."

"It feels like it is." She lowered her gaze. "When I'm queen I promise I'll make it right."

"What if your king doesn't want to?"

"Then he won't be my king anymore."

Bowser's fangs flashed in the evening light. "I don't think he'd like that too much."

"So? I'll just come and get you and you'll scare him away."

"What if I'm the king?"

Peach shoved Bowser, "lose the scales and the fangs and then we'll talk."

The prince of Koopas chuckled. "Well, whenever I get my throne, I promise to keep your kingdom safe. We'll work together, like partners."

She hugged him at the side. He wrapped his arms around her. She tapped the back of his head and released her embrace. "I hope your wishes come true. Whatever they are."

Bowser's cheeks reddened and he rubbed the back of his neck. He averted his eyes. "Me too."

She rolled her eyes and tousled his hair. "You're a dork."

"I know."

They basked in the insect calls and starlight. Peach examined Bowser's shadowed features. A translucent gossamer trail on his cheek. She pondered her wish. It ached her tongue, but she resisted. Her friend's happiness depended on it.

**X-X-X**

Bigmouth left a few times as the night gave way to morning. Often, he returned with food or books. He would read them aloud and matched his voice to the characters, much to the chagrin of everyone stationed at the bridge.

He wondered if the prisoner beyond the door was listening, and then Iggy would ask a question to prove his engagement. How strange. How marvelous. It took detaining someone against their will, but he finally found someone who would listen to him.

Kooky vented an exasperated sigh. He rose from the co-pilot seat and stomped over to Bigmouth. "That's it, I think you're done with prisoner duty."

"But-"

"Nope. You're done." Kooky grabbed his brother and dragged him away.

"You guys need someone to watch the prisoner."

"I'll do it myself if I have to."

Bigmouth struggled in vain. Kooky shoved him to the stairs and pointed to the bottom. Bigmouth opened his mouth to protest, but Amanita watched from the captain's seat and stroked her chin. Her frigid eyes followed him. An uneasy pit formed in Bigmouth's gut.

"Okay, but I mean I'm available to help if you need me to. Just an ask away. I don't mind watching prisoners-"

"Get out of here or so help me I will throw you down those stairs myself." Kooky stomped his foot twice.

Bigmouth gulped and shuffled down the stairs. His hands dangled at his sides. He looked back at Kooky. His elder brother crossed his arms and shook his head. Bigmouth's head sagged and he tromped down the cloned Maelstrom's halls.

He scuffed his heel on the floor and mumbled. "Of course he gets his tail in a twist when I find something fun to do."

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign you've gone crazy." Hip poked his head from the mess hall doors.

"Oh yeah, who's they? You know they say that whenever people say 'they' it's just a load of bunk anyway?"

"You're in a good mood." Hip frowned.

"Sorry Hip. It's just my stress levels are off the charts, metaphorical charts of course. Kooky's been showing off to Amanita and it's getting on my nerves. He's acting like tough stuff when he's really just loopy fluff and-"

"You wanna talk about it over a hot meal?" Hip gestured to the mess hall. A few mole traitors and clones chattered at long tables. Hot bowls of leftover stew and bread rolls before each. Bigmouth's stomach grumbled before he could answer.

Hip led him to where Hop and Lemmy sat. Lemmy flipped a coin and slammed it on the back of his hand. He raised his hand and the coin was gone. Hop reached over and plucked a coin from behind Lemmy's head.

Lemmy's eyes widened and he checked the palm for his coin. The golden mint was gone. He looked up at Hop and cocked his head. "How'd you do that?"

Hop shrugged. "I'm not telling."

Bigmouth took his seat. Hop adjusted himself in his seat and angled his body away from Bigmouth. Lemmy waved.

"You know, it's great timing that you showed up," Hip said.

Bigmouth sighed. "Oh boy. You need me to do something? I haven't even gotten anything to eat yet. You offered food."

"I know, I know, and I mean, you don't have to do it. Just thought I'd try asking."

"What then?"

"Iggy asked me a solid and you know, doing him a solid is like doing Lemmy a solid, so it all works out."

"Iggy, you say?" Bigmouth leaned forward. His eyes lit up. He retreated back into his seat and coughed into his hand. "I mean, go on."

"He just wanted me to deliver a message to the other prisoners. To let them know he's okay and not to worry about him." Hip looked at his fingers. "I know it's probably asking a lot, I mean he did give you a pretty gnarly chemical mouthwash yesterday."

"Puh-leese." Bigmouth chuckled and waved dismissively. "That's water under the bridge. Only the coolest of the cool can talk hours on end about Crystal Warrior."

"Say what?" Hip and Lemmy stared at each other.

"How'd you crack him? I mean," Lemmy leaned over the table and hushed his voice, "he's been giving me a hard time since this whole thing started."

"Easy. I just worked my charms and he warmed right up to me." Bigmouth grinned.

"He doesn't have anywhere to go," Hop mumbled and sipped at his stew, "if I was locked up in a room with nothing but cleaning supply labels to read, I'd tolerate any company out of boredom."

"That...makes a lot of sense." Lemmy turned to his brother's clone. Hop quirked his shoulders up and averted his eyes.

"I don't care. I'll take it." Bigmouth grinned.

"Well. If you do me a favor, you'll be doing Iggy a favor too. He'll like you even more for that." Hip crossed his leg over his thigh and set his elbow on the table. He propped his head up on his hand and quirked up the corner of his mouth.

"Just deliver that message, then." Bigmouth nodded and stood up. "Uh, what's stopping you from doing it? If you don't mind me asking. I like knowing what risks are involved after all."

"Bully wouldn't let me in to see them. Something about abandoning my post. I'm afraid of what he'll do if he catches me without Lemmy." Hip cranked his wrist and rolled his eyes. "And then Kootie Pie listens to Bully of all people, and she won't let me in when she's posted to watch."

Bigmouth jumped from his seat. "Okay guys I'll meet back up when I am successful, which I'm sure I will be, no reason I won't, after all, this is just an easy couple of words..."

Bigmouth's voice trailed off as he left the room. His muffled words audible from the hall.

**X-X-X**

Wendy watched her reflection in the vanity mirror. She fastened the tattered bow to her head. It limped sideways no matter how hard she tried to straighten it. "Good enough."

Her 'roommates' occupied themselves in the semblance of a morning routine. Morton adjusted his improvised bed of linen towels and straightened it into a respectable nest. Peach clasped her hands and bowed her head. She mouthed a silent prayer.

"Alright Peach, what's the plan?" Wendy touched the queen's sleeve. Peach opened her eyes and looked up at Wendy.

"Same as yesterday. We need to ground this ship." Peach said in a low voice. "Just, I don't know the layout of the ship."

Morton lay on his stomach and propped his chin up on a pile of towels. His eyes rolled upward and he stared at the lights. "It's not hard to figure out. I walked around the other one a few times."

"Then it's just a matter of getting out of this room and to the reactor." Wendy rubbed her chin and paced the room.

"And not getting caught," Peach whispered. She jimmied the door handle and put her ear to the wood. She stayed her breath and closed her eyes. A faint murmur rumbled beyond the door. A nasal female voice, first. A deeper male voice responded. The female voice spoke again.

"There's two of them, maybe they're changing shifts again," Peach whispered at Wendy.

Wendy pressed her own head against the door and listened for herself. She nodded her head. "No. It doesn't sound like Bully."

They heard the soft pit-pat of footfalls and ducked away from the door. Peach took the bed and Wendy faced the window. The rolling mechanism on the sliding door sounded off and Morton's clone entered. His bushy hairs bounced back and forth.

Kootie Pie crossed her arms and leaned against the open door frame. She yawned and rubbed the corner of her right eye with a pinky claw. Her mouth sagged open some.

'Uh, salutations and greetings." Bigmouth waved at the prisoners and cleared his throat. "I, uh, Kootie Pie do you have to look at me like that? You're making me nervous."

Kootie Pie rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her. "Better?" She shouted.

Peach tucked a bang behind her ear and watched Bigmouth. Bigmouth turned to the door and shouted back. Then, he watched the prisoners. "Okay. So Lemmy wanted Hip to get me to tell you that Iggy has a message for you."

"Um...what?" Wendy cocked her head.

"Lemmy wanted Hip to get me to tell you that-" Bigmouth paused for a breath.

"Iggy has a message." Peach finished for him. "Go on then."

"He wanted to let you guys know that he is A-okay and not to worry a lick about him. Or something like that. I didn't get it from him. I got it second hand from Hip."

Peach sighed with relief and stared at the ceiling. "Oh thank the Stars he's okay."

"It was just a few punches. Not as much damage he could potentially do. I mean if cracking skulls were like painting, he'd be Da Vinci. I've seen him in action. Or at least, I think I remember seeing him in action." Bigmouth rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. "Anyhoo. That's my job done. Thanks for your time, I shall be off. See you would not want to be you."

"Wait," Peach grabbed Bigmouth's arm and yanked him back, "do you think you could deliver a message to Iggy for us?"

"I'm no errand boy, your majesty. I mean I'm really sticking my neck out doing this one time. Now everyone's going to think I'm the messenger boy and that's not conducive to my happiness or wellbeing. Especially if I'm caught passing along little messages for high profile prisoners."

"Please." Peach's mouth thinned into a straight line and her eyes met the mock-Koopaling's. Her browline hardened and her cheeks flushed.

"How can I say no to that face?" Bigmouth rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, like this. Nope. Just going to go on my way."

"Hold up." Morton climbed to his feet.

Bigmouth dug his heels into the carpet and peeked over his shoulder.

"I know you freaks are all fuzzy when it comes to memory, but do you remember who used to read us stories hours into the night, who we could tell anything and not worry about what she thought, hm?"

"My memory? Fuzzy? I'll have you know that I can recite the entirety of the Hammer Brother Manifesto by heart, buddy," Bigmouth beamed and stuck his tongue at Morton.

"Kooky can't remember how to work his fire breath." Wendy nodded her head. "Bet you don't know things Morton knows."

"And that's why you deflected my question," Morton jabbed Bigmouth's chest, "you don't remember who used to take care of us when things fell apart."

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"Let me jog your memory." Morton punched Bigmouth's jaw. The teen dropped to the ground. His mouth dangled open. "Seeing red? How 'bout pink? You liar."

"Liar?"

"Yeah. You're a liar who doesn't ever shut his big stupid mouth."

Bigmouth's chest heaved. His pupils dilated and he rubbed his bruised cheek. His wetted eyes focused beyond a distant point.

Peach moved to stop the scuffle. Wendy grabbed her forearm and tugged her back. She whispered. "I think I know what he's doing..."

"I'm not a liar." Bigmouth whimpered.

Morton raised his fist again.

Bigmouth pointed at Wendy. "She...she knows. She can tell you. I'm not a liar."

At that, Morton lowered his fist. He loosed a sigh. "Remember now? You don't have a lot of friends. Treat the one's you have a little better."

Bigmouth blubbered and 'woke up.' He wiped his eyes clean of hot tears. He propped himself up on the wall and rubbed his temples. He wheezed. "Fine. I'll deliver her dumb message."

Morton nodded at Peach.

"It's a couple simple questions. What holds the star reactor together, what keeps it running?"

"Great, this trip's a two-parter. " Bigmouth sniffled.

He threw the door open. Kootie Pie stood in his way. He paused and glared at her. The clone shoved past his sister and stormed down the hall.

Kootie Pie arched her eyebrow and scoffed.

Morton slumped back onto his pile of towels.

Peach stood over Morton. "What was that about?"

Morton's covered his face. He did not answer her. Peach sat beside him and rubbed the back of his head. He closed his eyes.

"When you're ready, then." Peach patted his back.

"Er, what exactly am I missing here?" Kootie Pie placed a hand on her hip.

"Too much," Wendy said.

"Buncha weirdos." She clicked her tongue on her teeth.

"Yeah look who's talking." Wendy fluttered her lips and folded her arms behind her head.

"Don't be so harsh, Wendy." Peach continued to rub the back of Morton's neck. "She's you, or some part of you."

"Then what does that make Amanita?"

Peach fell silent. Her eyes lowered. "I keep asking myself the same thing."

**X-X-X**

Ludwig tapped the crystal end of Cheatsy's wand in his hand and paced Larry. Roy dunked his feet in the river. Cheatsy propped his head on his hands. Their supplies lay on the ground in a haphazard pile.

"Everything has an 'Ember.' From the rocks to the river to the air we breathe. When I tap my own Ember, I'm not creating fire." Ludwig tucked the wand in his armpit and poured water into his own cupped palm. "I'm using my own Ember to influence the world around me."

Gasses rose from the puddle in Ludwig's palm. They serpentined into a helix. A spark devoured the gaseous trails and a ball of fire expanded in the space of his fingertips.

Larry opened his own palm and squinted. He gritted his teeth. A wisp of smoke weaved his fingers and the wind stole it. He exhaled and eased his shoulders. "Dammit."

"Looks like fire isn't your affinity."

"I don't follow." Larry rubbed the side of his head.

"The term Ember's a bit of a misnomer." Ludwig brushed his claws through his hair. "Kamek translated them as 'Embers,' but it's best not to think of it as a flame. More a wild animal you can steer."

"Stars, this is confusing." Larry clicked his claws together.

"It's not that hard to figure out. Think about it this way," Ludwig waved the wand, "what is the easiest thing you can cast from a proper wand?"

Larry stared at his claws and narrowed his eyes. Hazy air enveloped his claws. He flexed his forearm. The hairs on the back of his neck rose.

"This oughta be good." Cheasty downed a mouthful of water.

Blue electric bolts arced the tips of his claws and sparks showered from his hand. Larry screamed and held his hand away. The lightning jumped from his fingertips and blasted the grass. He closed his hand and the magic ceased. His knees trembled.

"Not bad at all," Ludwig nodded and edged towards Larry with the wand poised to deflect.

Larry pressed his hand over his chest and his breathing palpitated. His teeth chattered. "My heart's going to explode."

"Steady, there, steady." Ludwig uncapped his canteen.

Larry fell on his hands and knees and arched his back. His tail spasmed. Ludwig crouched to Larry's level and put a canteen to his maw.

"Drink up. Cooldowns are important."

Larry snatched the canteen and chugged. His irises flashed white for a split second. It smelled like the penultimate minutes before a rainstorm. He grabbed Ludwig's forearm and propped himself on his older brother's torso.

"What happened?" Larry winced.

"If an Ember is a wild animal, your emotions are its reigns. The tighter control on your emotional state, the tighter control you have on your Ember. Lose yourself in the moment..."

"And I end up choking up molten gunk like you did yesterday." Larry grimaced.

Ludwig's lips pursed. "Kamek's scrolls call it 'the devouring.'"

Larry's back tensed, 'the devouring.' The word echoed in his thoughts and set his hairs on end. "This Ember stuff just got a lot less cool."

"It's risky, I know," Ludwig wiped his hand on his thigh, "but you asked me to teach you."

Larry turned to his clone and remembered Ludwig's furious threat, to 'boil Cheatsy's eyes from their sockets' and the steam in the river. "It almost happened yesterday, didn't it? The devouring."

Ludwig's head lowered and he scratched a patch of scruff on his chin. "I was fine."

"Someone's in denial." Cheatsy whistled and grinned.

"Shut it."

"No, Ludwig. He's right." Larry looked up at his older brother and shook Ludwig's arm. "You can't tell me you were fine, you almost killed yourself over that moron and his brothers." He jabbed his finger at Cheatsy's general direction.

"Hey, that's uncalled for." Cheatsy stuck his tongue out.

"What would you like me to do next time? Let them kill you?" Ludwig snapped. Larry winced and stepped back. Ludwig drew sharp breaths and his nostrils flared.

"Easy, Ludwig," Roy shouted from the riverbank and wobbled to his feet. He groped the air and hobbled in Ludwig's direction. He tripped and scuffed his knee on the ground, "could...one of you help, please?"

Cheatsy shrugged at Larry. Larry inched away from Ludwig and grabbed Roy's wrist. Ludwig's knuckles whitened.

"Ludwig, stop it," Roy's shoulders slumped, he felt defeated, defending the baby like everyone else, "you need to take care of yourself. You won't be in much a position to do anything if you keep this up."

Ludwig unclenched his fists. The silence was heavy and begging to be broken. Ludwig let it be and stormed towards the pile of rucksacks. He threw off his shell and saddled up once more for the journey.

"Goody goody, more walking." Cheatsy bemoaned the task ahead.

Larry inched forward and rubbed the back of his head. He mumbled to his lonesome. "Sorry Luddy."

"Pfft, why? He should tell you sorry." Cheatsy sauntered to the supplies.

"Just because you get off on being a jerk doesn't mean I do too."

"I'm in that wicked little head of yours somewhere." Cheatsy tapped Larry's forehead with a claw. "Just waiting to bust out."

Larry batted away his clones finger. "You're a pain."

"So are you."

They scooped up their bags and Larry helped Roy with his duffel bag. He looked over his shoulder and watched Ludwig. The eldest brother followed the river with his eyes to the horizon.

**X-X-X**

Iggy waited by the door, anticipating Bigmouth's return. No doubt the others would want to communicate. And when he got their message, he could start sending more complex codes and hints. Time dragged on for eternity in the dark. Each passing moment withered his hopes.

"He's not coming back." Iggy bounced the pink canister in his palms. "Plan B, then. Plan B."

He paced the room and clutched at his ribs. The crusted blood beneath his nostrils itched. He envisioned the Maelstrom's layout and traced a path in the air with his fingers.

"Force a landing, force a landing, plenty of ways to do that just outside the door, but there're too many guards out there. They'd stop me."

He needed a distraction. Someway to incapacitate a room of people. He itched the back of his head.

"Oh for the love of-" he cursed at himself several times and faced the shelves of cleaners. "I've got a room full of dangerous chemicals to play with." He rubbed his hands together and picked through the dark.

He found a white jug and inched it into the light. He pressed his nose to the label: bleach. "Perfect." If Iggy knew anything about household cleaners, bleach did not play well with anything except water.

"Daddy needs some ammonia," Iggy groped for a purple bottle of cleaner and read the ingredients. "Nope" He dropped it and picked up a translucent bottle of blue solution with the words 'window cleaner' scrawled on the plastic. "Ooh, maybe." He tore the spray nozzle from the bottle and wafted the chemical scent towards his muzzle. "Excellent."

He watched the light beneath the door for shadows. Iggy kicked a mop bucket towards the middle of the room. He twisted the cap off the jug and emptied its contents into the bucket.

"This is stupid, I'm stupid," he plucked a rag from the janitor's cart and sniffed at it. "Clean enough."

Now to set things in motion. Iggy tested the doorknob and felt the door give. He opened the door a peek.

A blob of blue and green and yellow shifted a fair distance away. Iggy squinted and the shape of Kooky's hair and the point of his fused fang blurred into existence. A silhouette of a silhouette.

The blob of colors jerked.

Iggy stifled a gasp and caught himself before slamming the door shut. He tucked back his green hair. His breathing shallowed.

Kooky hissed to himself and grumbled. "Come on. Work."

"Knock that off before you give yourself a hernia," Amanita spoke out of view.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to hone my skills here," the colors quivered and warbled a strained cry.

Iggy strained his eyelids. His swollen right eye seared. He bit back tears and forced the images into focus.

Kooky's wrist twisted and trembled. He scolded his hand like one would a small child. His forearm flexed.

"Where's Bigmouth?" Bully's voice carried from the other end of the room.

Iggy eased the door shut. He gasped down mouthfuls of air and put a hand to his chest. A dull pain drilled behind his eyes. He tried his best to listen over the pounding of his heart.

"I sent him out." Kooky's muffled voice strained beyond the door.

"Sent him out?" Bully snapped.

"Didn't know you were deaf too."

"He's supposed to be on watch."

"I couldn't stand another second of him yammering on about his insipid comic books." Kooky raised his voice.

"And who's watching the prisoner then?" Bully matched his brother's tone. "You?"

"No, I asked the blue fairy to do it for me...of course I'm watching him!"

"Alright smartass, when's the last time you checked on him?"

Iggy's heart drummed in his ears. Poom. Poom. Bully's lumbering footfalls echoed. Long shadows inched beneath the space beneath the door.

Iggy tucked his pink canister into the front of his padded shell armor. The metal pinched his chest. The door knob rattled. Iggy covered his mouth and nose and dumped the window cleaner into the bleach. "

The chemicals bubbled and a miasmic cloud belched forth. Bully pushed the door open. "What are you-"

Iggy kicked the bucket over and a river of chemicals and toxic gas spilled out. Bully reeled back. He coughed into his arm and gagged. His raspy shouts sent the bridge into a frenzy. Iggy picked up the emptied bucket and dropped it on Bully's head.

The broad mock-koopaling shambled and struggled with the bucket. Iggy stuck his foot forward. Bully tripped and tumbled.

Iggy pressed the rag to his face and ducked from the closet. The gas burned his eyes. A flurry of panicked screams brewed around him. He squinted through the pain and saw the unmanned co-pilot terminal.

The gas permeated the indoor space. Crew members scrambled opposite the encroaching haze. Iggy shoved aside the panicked crew. Blobs of color swirled around Iggy.

He tripped over chairs and propped himself up on crew member consoles. He dropped the rag from his face and leaned over the co-pilot terminal. Iggy blinked tears from his eyes and tapped a few keys on the console.

The turgid sea of clouds in the windows ceased movement. Lights flickered on the bridge. The constant hum of machinery silenced. He pounded out commands on the keyboard. So close, so close.

Kooky choked him from behind.

Iggy gagged and scratched at Kooky's face. He straightened his back to his full height and maneuvered from the mock-koopaling's grip. He shoved Kooky with his elbow and reached for the console.

Kooky threw his weight at Iggy. The heft dropped them both to the ground and pinned the lanky koopaling. Kooky put his forearm to Iggy's neck and pressed down. Kooky's lips folded back to reveal his pointed teeth.

Iggy gagged and dug his claws into Kooky's forearm.

"Whose dumb idea was it to lock you up in the janitor's closet anyway?" Kooky growled and pried Iggy's claws back.

"Yours, if I recall," Amanita climbed from her seat and paced loomed over Kooky.

Kooky's upper lip twitched. "You gave me the okay, you said it was a good idea."

"Trying to shift the blame? How unbecoming of a high-ranking official," Amanita cupped her hands together and put the tube over her mouth, "would one of you morons vent the bridge?"

A panicked mole nodded and punched a few keys on his console. "It's locked up, your majesty."

"Then unlock it."

"He put it in maintenance mode." The mole pointed at Iggy.

"Then take it out."

"We need the administrator's password and, uh, guess who's the administrator." The mole shirked and hid his face.

Amanita's lips spread into her painted smile and she stared through Iggy's soul. "My oh my, a saboteur in our midst."

Iggy gulped and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Your majesty, I think it's best we clear the bridge until the gas clears." A koopa-troop clone saluted her and tucked his legs together.

"Very well," Amanita swirled her finger in the air, "you heard him, get moving."

"What about the prisoner?" Kooky shook Iggy.

"Lock him up in the darkest corner you can find," Amanita glared at Iggy, "we'll deal with him later."

"And Bully?"

"I very well can't drag him out."

"You can't just leave him in there-"

"Kooky, dear," Amanita's smile disappeared and her eyes hardened, "you'd better pick up the pace then."

Kooky looked at Iggy and then at the hazy cloud. He forced his prisoner on his feet and dragged him to the haze. Iggy squinted and gasped.

"No, no, no, put me back on the floor," Iggy pounded Kooky's arm.

Kooky ignored him and plunged into the haze. Iggy's throat burned and hot tears streamed down his eyes. Kooky coughed and hacked and sputtered into a fit of laughter.

"How can you," Iggy wheezed, "you find this funny?"

"I don't-" Kooky's lips curled back and he cackled and wrapped his hand around Bully's foot. He dragged his brother and the prisoner out of the haze to safety. Kooky gasped for clean air.

Bigmouth poked his head into the room from the stairs. "Kooky I need to speak to you concerning your prior treatment of...me...," he covered his mouth and gasped, 'whoa, what'd I miss?"

Kooky shoved Iggy towards Bigmouth. The mock-koopaling caught the prisoner and steadied him. Kooky grit his teeth and resisted the urge to rub his eyes. "Deal with him."

Bigmouth looked up at Iggy and shrugged. "Alrighty then..." He dragged Iggy to the stairs. A procession of crew members evacuated the bridge alongside them.

**X-X-X**

Ludwig kept a fair distance behind Larry and Roy. Cheatsy slowed his roll to meet up with the elder brother.

"Wanted to ask you something."

"Leave me alone." Ludwig waved his hand to shoo away the clone.

"Why do you call him Bowser?"

"That's his name."

"He's your 'dad' though."

"He's not my dad."

"Cheatsy, knock it off," Larry shouted.

"You guys are pretty similar either way." Cheatsy shrugged. "Your tantrums are strikingly similar."

Ludwig glowered at Cheatsy and faced forward. He ignored the mock-koopaling no matter how hard he mocked. A veneer of patience masked a boiling rage.

Larry tried to figure out why his clone had such a death wish.

Cheatsy eventually bored of the eldest brother and fell silent. Grass crinkled beneath their toes. The river babbled and the faint shapes of fish shimmied downstream.

Cheatsy leaned his head over the water and licked his lips. "I could eat one of those puppies raw."

"We'll eat again when we set up camp."

"You can't tell me you're not starving too." Cheatsy slumped forward and groaned.

Ludwig's stomach gurgled in response.

"See!"

"Proper rations are key," Ludwig mumbled.

"Right, except we have a river full of food to take advantage of."

"And how do you intend to catch any fish?"

Cheatsy grabbed a stick from the ground and tapped the tip. "I was thinking we could improvise spears from the sticks. Oh hey, I bet if we used your tooth at just the right angle-"

Ludwig socked Cheatsy's arm and stomped towards the front of the group.

Cheatsy rubbed his arm and lowered. His eyelid twitched. The mock-koopaling kicked a clump of dirt into the water and watched the fish scatter.

Larry led Roy on a straight path. The broader of the two stumbled over hidden rocks and dips in the soil. He cursed in hushed tones. The march staggered to a halt until Roy found his feet again.

Rinse and repeat.

The river divulged into a basin. A dutiful waterwheel cranked at the river's mouth. It churned bubbles in the greenish water. A nearby mill ground up a steady flow of grain.

Beyond, a bustling settlement of green huts in the shape of koopa shells murmured. A railroad dipped into the outskirts and rounded out and stretched to the countryside.

Larry held a finger to his lips and dragged Roy to a thicker cluster of trees. Ludwig and Cheatsy followed.

"This is Pinebrook, I take it," Ludwig whispered. He blocked the sun with his hand and squinted. "Larry I'm not sure about this."

"You and I both know we'll need all the help we can get," Larry eked a sigh. He pressed his body against a tree to ease his weight off his legs, "I could go myself, I'm sure they'll recognize me."

"That's just as dumb."

"You guys all have a running start if things go sour."

"We won't get far with Roy."

"Luddy..." Larry twiddled his thumbs and bit his bottom lip.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Cheatsy cleared his throat, he grabbed Larry's wrist and slapped his hand, "tag out, tag out."

Ludwig glared at the mock-koopaling.

"Say we skip town and head straight for Stonekeeper Fortress. What happens when we get there?" Cheatsy twirled his fingers in the air and rolled his shoulders back. "Roy's blind and big as a barn, Larry's his seeing-eye companion, and well," Cheatsy gestured to all of Ludwig, "yeah no one'll notice us hopping the border."

Ludwig snorted and his irises ducked to the bottom of their sockets. He drew a deep breath.

Roy fiddled with his blindfold. "He's got a point, Ludwig."

"I know, I know," Ludwig dragged his claws over his face and stared down at Larry, "if you run into trouble-"

"Don't worry, I won't give away your position."

"That's not what I'm concerned about," sighed and his stomach tensed behind the padded armor, "just stay safe, okay?"

Larry shook his head up and down in a short burst. He stepped back and pivoted on his heels. Pinebrook awaited him

**X-X-X**

Mario paced the locomotive engine. A shrill whine emanated from the bowels of the machine. Minerva and Vine remained at attention behind the king. Daisy leaned against the train and inspected her nails.

Junior, Rocky, and a few toads tinkered with the innards. Rocky threw his wrench on the ground and shook his fist at the sky. "Damn this infernal machine."

Mario's mustache twitched and he reached under his cap to scratch his scalp.

"That doesn't sound good," Mario squatted next to Rocky.

"Turns out, locomotives aren't much like airships," Rocky rubbed the back of his neck.

"Or clown copters." Junior sighed.

The head of the maintenance toads wiped his forehead with a rag. "Sorry to say it, your majesty, but we're all stumped."

The toad conductor clasped his hands and bowed his head. "No, no, no. Not good, not good. Think of the passengers. Think of the time we're wasting! Customer satisfaction is our lifeblood, our nectar, our..."

"Are you like a drama school dropout or something?" Daisy quirked her brow and crossed her arms.

The conductor coughed into his hand and hid his face.

Mario rolled his eyes. "Maybe we should just hoof it the rest of the way." The king tapped his foot. He plucked his hat from his head and fanned his face and mulled over his options.

"Perhaps we can find help in town," Minerva said.

Pinebrook was known for 'ma and pa' stores and commuters with little love for big city life. He imagined there was a startling lack of 'train repair person' on their resumes. "It might be another waste of time."

"At the very least we can find another mode of transportation. A march could take us days."

"Mama mia, this is why I wanted to do this alone," Mario mumbled and brushed back his hair and wore his cap, "alright, we'll drop an hour. If nothing turns up, prepare to march."

"Sir." Minerva saluted.

Luigi returned with a papier-mache cupholder and five steaming cups of coffee. "You wouldn't believe the lines here. I thought Pinebrook was supposed to be a sleepy town."

"Just the man I wanted to see." Mario smiled at his brother. "Ready for a bit of work?"

"Can I take a sick day?"

"You and Daisy are going to scour north Pinebrook for anyone who might know anything about trains." Mario pointed his thumb at Daisy. "Minerva and I will take Downtown."

"You heard the man." Daisy reached for a styrofoam cup and paused, "uh, which one's-"

"Upper right." Luigi pointed at it with his nose.

"Thanks, hon."

Luigi rolled his eyes and took his cup. He handed Mario the tray. "Here we go." He twirled his finger in a half-hearted celebration.

"What about us?" Rocky pointed to himself and Junior. "We can help."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Mario handed Rocky the coffee.

"You can trust us." Bowser Junior pointed at his chest with his thumb.

"It's not a matter of trust," Mario sighed, "you guys are still technically prisoners, and letting you run around unattended is going to spell trouble for me if the council gets wind of it."

"But you're the king, tell 'em to shove it."

"That might work where you come from, but here...well...I've played the King card a little too hard these past couple days." Mario held his hat to his chest.

Junior climbed to his feet and tugged the loaned t-shirt back down his stomach, "fine then."

"But-" Rocky's mouth gaped open.

Junior shushed Rocky and shook his head. "Don't push it."

Mario nodded at Junior. He peeked over his shoulder at Vine. "Lieutenant?"

"Sir?"

"You have 'prisoner duty' while we're gone."

"Is this going to be a running thing?" Vine rolled his eyes.

"With that attitude? Yes," Mario smirked.

"Yes sir," Vine folded his arms and rolled his eyes.

With the assignments passed out, the teams parted ways at the station and delved into the town. Former Koopa-troops wandered the smalltown streets. Most wore their old shell uniforms. 'More out of habit, than loyalty,' the mayor of the city once told Mario.

A group stared at Mario and whispered among each other.

"Is that the king?" A green shelled one covered his mouth and faced his friends. "What's he doing here?"

"Must be passing through." A red shelled one said. He put his back to Mario and company. A faded white scuff mark on the roundest bend of his shell.

"Just our luck." A blue shelled one mumbled.

Mario cleared his throat and approached the gossiping koopas. "Excuse me, we're in a bit of a bind."

The koopas looked at one another and then at the king.

"Right. Our train has broken down and the maintenance crew at the station is a little," Mario coughed into his hand, "less than stellar. You wouldn't happen to know someone who can help?"

There was a brief moment where the koopas exchanged glances. A language spoke in silence. Minerva scrutinized their faces. One drew a shuddering breath and the other touched his chin. The frontmost koopa shook his head. "Sorry your majesty, can't say we do."

"Worth a shot." Mario shrugged. "Have a nice day." He waved at the koopas and turned to the crowd.

Minerva grabbed his arm. "You're an awfully nervous bunch."

"We are talking to the king of the Mushroom Kingdom." The green shelled koopa's knees buckled.

Mario quirked his brow and frowned at her.

Minerva squinted at the koopas. "Carry on."

She spurred Mario forward with her elbow and rounded a corner with the king. He pulled his arm from her grip. He opened his mouth, but Minerva held her index finger to his lips. She peeked around the corner and watched the koopas. "They're hiding something. Too much nervous energy."

Mario watched the koopas with Minerva and saw them resume their conversation. "You have that effect on people, captain." Mario rubbed the back of his head.

"I know liars when I see them," Minerva mumbled and held her breath.

The red-shelled koopa ducked from his posse and peeked over his shoulder. Minerva dragged Mario into a crowd to blend. They weaved in knots around citizens. Mario struggled to keep up. His feet dragged over one another and he held his cap to his head with his free hand.

The koopa stopped. Minerva ducked into an alley between "Kooparry's Books" and "Terrapin Repairs." She strafed the corner in a semi-circular motion and stopped when she had sightlines on the koopa.

He peeked over his shoulder and rubbed his chin. His forehead slicked with sweat. He ducked into an alley of his own.

"Drat. I think he's on to us."

"We do stand out a bit." Mario dusted his coveralls and rubbed his arm. "Minerva, stalking koopas isn't exactly doing us any favors."

Minerva shushed him and pushed Mario behind her. The koopa's nose poked around the corner of the alley. Content, he stepped into the main thoroughfare and jogged ahead.

"Stars reward the patient ones," Minerva mumbled and gestured for Mario to follow her.

They followed the koopa a fair distance longer. He twisted right at the end of the thoroughfare and into an alley. Koopas looked at the pursuers confused but mostly apathetic to the silent chase.

Mario turned crimson as his hat. He wondered what went through their minds. The king himself, ducking through alleyways like some sort of criminal. They looped right and left. Next straight. Then left twice. Straight on through. Right again. Mario's head spun.

He rubbed his temples and tried to regain his bearings. He leaned against a building. His chest heaved, his lungs starved for air. He stared to the heavens with half a mind to curse the Stars for their treatment of him. A shell shaped sign dangled in the breeze.

"I think I recognize this shop," Mario mumbled.

"No time to reminisce sir." Minerva picked up her pace.

"Terrapin Repairs," Mario's eyes widened, "he's running us in circles."

Mario pushed from the wall and stared at the koopa they chose to follow for the better part of ten minutes. The koopa's shell caught the light at just the right angle and flashed. "It's not him."

"What do you mean?"

"The one we followed before had a scuff on his shell," Mario mumbled. "That one looks recently waxed."

"A decoy. Of all the stupid things to fall for." Minerva lowered her face into her open palm and grumbled.

"Not your week, eh?" Mario grinned at the captain. "On the bright side, I think I believe you now." Mario stroked his mustache. "But where to go from here?"

"Wherever they made the switch off." Minerva paced inched forward.

Mario and Minerva's eyes lit up at the same time. They nodded at one another and followed the thoroughfare. Mario stopped at the alley the koopa ducked into earlier.

The air smelled of roast fish and charcoal. Two doors awaited them, a red door on the right and a green door on the left. A koopa stepped out of the green door and dumped discarded food and napkins into a bin. He froze in the presence of Minerva and Mario.

"Hey, did you see a guy with a red shell come this way earlier?" said Mario.

The koopa shook his head and fumbled inside. He slammed the door behind him.

"That's not suspicious." Mario rolled his eyes.

"Could be another attempt to throw us off the scent, they're smarter than they look."

"You go left, I go right." Mario nodded.

Minerva entered the restaurant and Mario the opposite door.

He stood in a hallway lined with doors. Each one tagged with golden plaques. "Apartments?' Mario mumbled.

A ragtime tune blared from a half-open door and a vacuum cleaner roared. Stomps echoed from the floor above. A T-junction awaited beyond the ragtime door. Mario peeked over his shoulder and then at the junction.

"Decisions, decisions," he sighed and stepped past the ragtime room and paused. Curious, he peeked into the crack.

A radio sat on a table with the knobs cranked to ten. He knocked on the door. "Hello?"

No response.

"Hello? It's-a me, Mario." He chuckled at the exaggerated Italian lilt and thought of his wife. She was slow to anger, but the accent did the trick.

Still no response, he inched the door open and entered. "I'm here on royal business, this is royal business," Mario sighed, "if this gets out, I'm getting deposed."

He entered the apartment living room. The kitchen occupied a tight corner at his right. A pile of empty pizza boxes rested on the counter. The vacuum cleaner sat upright beside a door.

There was muffled shouting on the other end of the door. Mario held his breath and put his ear to the wood. The vacuum droned. He managed to decipher a few words.

"Can't fit..."

"...suck in."

"I am."

Mario pushed the door open.

There he found the red-shelled koopa and beside him a curious predicament unfolded. Larry Koopa protruded from a trapdoor that squeezed him at the waist. A gangly Larry Koopa look-a-like attempted to force him into the tight chamber.

"Not sure what I was expecting on this side of the door but, all things considered, I can deal with this." Mario sighed and wiped his forehead clean of sweat. "And it looks like the mole was telling the truth about the clones." Mario turned towards Cheatsy.

Larry's mouth flattened into a line. "Mole?"

"The mechanic, er," Mario peeked up at the ceiling and blinked a few times, "Rocky, yeah. that was his name."

Larry's eyes widened and he squirmed. "You didn't hurt him did you?"

"Of course not. He's plenty safe." Mario pinched his forefinger and thumb into an 'O' shape and waved the hand gesture next to his face.

Larry's shoulders eased and he drummed his fist on the floor.

"But that's the least pressing issue. Looks to me like I've got Koopa sympathizers," Mario rubbed his chin and paced the room, "that's high treason, punishable by death or lifetime spent in the castle dungeons."

The red-shelled koopa yelped and groveled at Mario's feet. "You don't understand your highness, Larry and I go way back, my dad used to work at Castle Koopa before we all moved to the MK, please, I was just doing a friend a favor. Honest."

Mario hummed and put his hands behind his back. "What's the panic room for?"

"You know, just in case," the koopa laughed nervously and shrugged,

Mario grabbed Larry by the wrists and tugged. The koopaling's lower body snagged. The clone tried his best to pry Larry loose, but he too failed.

"Butter, lard, something like that oughta do the trick." Mario snapped his fingers and looked at the koopa.

"R-right away." The koopa shuffled out the door and switched off the vacuum. He returned with a tub of margarine.

They lined the hole with the slick yellow substance and wrestled Larry from the trapdoor's grasp. Larry staggered forward. His face so hot that Mario swore he felt the temperature rise.

"Sheesh, you're heavier than you look." Mario massaged his shoulder and winced.

"Oh no, here comes big bro two-point-oh," Cheatsy snickered and jabbed Larry's stomach.

"Laugh all you want," Larry smacked Cheatsy's hand, "you're in the same boat as me."

Cheatsy's grin faded and he coughed into his hand. "Yeah, well, damn."

Mario's eyes lit up. "Speaking of big bro," Mario wiped his hands on his overalls, "Rocky said that Roy and Ludwig escaped with you."

Larry bowed his head and frowned. "Yup."

"Well, I could use Ludwig's help. See, our train is stalled and none of the engineers at the station could figure it out."

Larry and Cheatsy turned to one another. "A train?" Larry said.

"That's what I said."

"Fluffwig's no Iggy, but I think he'll do." Cheatsy nodded at Larry.

"Great! Let's go get him then."

"W-wait." Larry tried to raise his voice. His nerves squeezed his chest. "I'll get Ludwig if you promise to let him go." Larry pointed at the koopa.

"Sounds fair to me."

"Really?" The koopa's mouth dropped open.

"I wasn't going to really have you killed, Stars no," Mario held his hands to his chest and shook his head, "I did owe you a scare for that wild goose chase earlier. But, in a weird way, you led me right where I needed to be."

The koopa offered a relieved smile and his stumpy tail wagged.

"But, uh," Mario peeked over the trap door and into the hole. Orange flowers bobbed in trays and radiated a soft glow."Your 'garden' is a little more difficult to overlook."

The koopa stared at his shoes and sighed. "Consider it gone."

Mario had little reason to believe the koopa, but in the interest of time, he had a train to repair.

"Lead the way Larry."

**X-X-X**

Vine glanced at Rocky, then to Konrad, and finally Junior. A neat stack of cards at his left thigh. "Time for the moment of truth."

Konrad bit his bottom lip and sighed. "Just a pair, I'm afraid." He set down a two cards labeled 'three.'

Rocky peeked at his cards and grinned. He placed them on the carpet one by one. "Six of stars, six of shrooms, six of coins, six of flowers, fouruvakind," he nodded once and folded his arms.

Junior spread his cards. They were five in sequence: King, Queen, Jack, Ace, and ten. Each one stamped with a star. "Is this a good hand?"

Rocky pounded the floor. "You smug little...ugh," Rocky grabbed a pile of cookies set up on a plate beside him and put them on Junior's plate. "I'm bust."

Kon looked at his lowly pile of cookies and put them on Junior's plate. "Same."

"Oof, talk about not knowing when to quit," Vine exaggerated his vowels in the tone of a game show host. "And kid dynamite gets all the cookies."

"Thank you, thank you," Junior tucked his arm over his chest and bowed a few times, "you're right Rocky, poker is fun!"

Rocky muttered a curse or two under his breath and climbed to his feet. "I swear it's been more than an hour."

Vine peeked at his wrist watch. "Almost."

Junior popped a few cookies in his mouth and chomped them down. He clapped his hands of crumbs and approached the window. Mushroomers meandered at various concessions. One toad furiously gestured at his phone.

The crowd turned all at once.

Junior followed their collective gaze and gasped. Larry dragged Roy across the station. Junior grimaced at the sight of the pink-faced brother. His eyes were covered with gauze. Thick bandages adorned his upper arm.

"Oi, there's the little freak that ambushed us." Rocky squeezed in front of Junior and pointed at Cheatsy.

Konrad inched in on Rocky's left side. "He's a little more 'alive' than I was expecting."

Ludwig brought up the rear. Mario walked beside him, he almost looked like a child in Ludwig's shadow. The chattered about something, but Junior was no good at reading lips.

"Those are your brothers?" Vine gasped and squeezed next to Rocky's right side. "Stars, they're huge."

Junior scoffed. "And there's lieutenant obvious."

"I'm sorry, but when you grow up hearing them called 'the koopalings,' you imagine bite sized Bowsers. Not, well, Bowser sized...Bowsers..." Vine scratched his cheek.

"Does someone have a complex?" Konrad smirked at Vine.

"I'll have you know that I'm the second tallest of my brothers." Vine straightened his spine and stretched his legs.

"That's not saying much." Junior patted Vine's head as one would a child.

The toad knight slapped away Junior's hand and he scowled. "Do that again and I'll fillet your fingers with a butter knife."

The Darklanders spilled into laughter. Vine slouched and rolled his eyes. The toad knight's face erupted into a cherry crimson.

"It's only in jest, lieutenant." Konrad tucked his hands behind his back and stretched on the balls of his feet.

"Bah, he's just not fond of the taste of his own medicine," Rocky cranked his wrist and stepped away from the window.

Junior smushed his nose against the glass and squinted. "Vine...can we go see my brothers?"

Vine's face returned to its natural shade. He stared up at his young prisoner and put a hand on his hip. "You know, what if I don't want to all of a sudden?"

"Come on Vine, I was only joking." Junior's chin sagged and his eyelids spread open.

Vine smirked and tapped Junior's arm. "Just wanted to see your face pull off some gymnastics." The toad approached the door. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Junior ducked beneath the door frame and squeezed through the halls with his escort. The knight kept his pace to a crawl and paused at frequent intervals. Junior internalized his nerves. Vine was not going to win this game of wills.

Finally, they stepped onto the platform. The engine cast a broad shadow in the midday sun. Minerva's leaned against the train with her arms crossed. Her keen gaze jumped from koopaling to koopaling.

Ludwig was on his hands and knees. He drew a deep breath and held it. He worked gentle fingers that years of piano practice honed.

Roy sat in the shade and unfastened his blindfold. Cheatsy shook Larry's arm and burst into a fit of giggles. "So then Mario's like, 'butter, do we have butter?'"

Roy snorted and covered his face.

Larry rolled his eyes and tried to focus his attention elsewhere. His eyebrows perked at the sight of his younger brother. Larry jumped to his feet.

"You guys are okay!" Junior jogged up to his older brothers. He skidded to a halt and bit his lip. "I mean, uh, good. Glad I don't have to tell dad you all died in a dumb airship accident."

Ludwig mumbled beneath his breath, most of his brainpower allocated to the engine.

Larry reached out and hugged Junior. "I knew you didn't abandon us."

Junior gasped at the unexpected gesture. It almost felt nice, until he processed what Larry said. "Hold on, abandoned?"

Roy's face twisted into a long frown. He pressed his hand on his bandaged arm. A stream of air sputtered his lips.

Larry rubbed the back of his neck. "After you disappeared on the day of the kidnapping we all assumed-"

"That I betrayed you guys." Junior's visage sunk and his head bowed.

"Wow dudes, that's cold." Cheatsy tutted and shook his head. Roy punched Cheatsy's arm. The mock-koopaling grimaced and tumbled to the ground.

"I didn't even punch you that hard," Roy grumbled and stretched his legs.

"I'm sorry Junior, I mean it." Larry's bottom lip curled inward and he dropped his hands at his sides. "We were beaten up, nearly killed, and to top it off we lost all our stuff. All of us were in a bad place."

Junior rubbed his arm and looked up at Larry.

"Mario told us everything." Roy sighed and rubbed the wells of his eyes. "How you were captured and when you thought we all bit the dust in that airship crash. So yeah, sorry."

Junior looked between his two older brothers. A pinch of a smile on the corners of his mouth. All eyes shifted to Ludwig.

Ludwig set down his tools and scratched the fuzz on his cheeks. He caught the stares. "What?"

"Don't you, you know, have something to say to Junior?" Larry gestured to the younger brother.

"Oh, yeah, sorry and such." Ludwig cranked his hand and set back to work on the locomotive engine.

Junior felt a pit form in his stomach.

"Pfft, you can do it better than that." Cheatsy stuck his tongue out at the eldest brother.

Ludwig sat up and buried his face in his hands. "I think all of you need to leave."

"H-hold up." Vine raised his hand and stepped forward.

Ludwig cocked his head and looked at Junior. "Who's he?"

"Lieutenant Vine of the Queensguard." Vine straightened his spine and tried to puff out his chest."I don't know what the beef is here, but," Vine's voice trembled and he fought for composure, "I wasted a wish the other night."

Ludwig rolled his eyes and groaned.

"I'm serious." Vine offered the best stern brow his baby-faced complexion could muster. "Your little bro bothered me to wish for your safety."

Junior's face flushed red and he put his index finger to his claws. "Vine don't-"

"And you know what? If you're going to be ungrateful like that, I see it as a wasted wish." Vine finished strong and inched forward.

Ludwig's eyes turned pensive and he crossed his legs. The corners of his lips twisted downward. "Oh jeez," he dragged his claws through his hair, "Junior, it's good to see you safe too."

Junior nodded his head a little and hugged his arm.

"That's a little better." Vine rocked back and forth. Junior raised his right eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" Junior mumbled.

"Peachy keen." Vine gave Junior a shaking thumbs up and climbed back into the train.

"You keep odd company, Junior," Ludwig huffed. He crawled on his knees and reached his arm into a bush of wires.

"You don't know the half of it." Junior's chest tightened. He watched the sky wary that the end of days must be near. A toad just stood up for him.

A static pop grabbed Junior's attention. Ludwig screamed and jumped back. He smacked his head on the engine's chassis. A string of profanity flowed from his mouth. "Piece of..." He reared his arm back and slammed the engine with his fist.

A deep whirring sound filled the air and the engine sputtered to life. Ludwig looked at his fist then at the engine. "That works."

 


	7. Locking Horns Part 1

###  **Chapter 7: Locking Horns Part 1**

 

 

Hollow horned warriors rattled on armor stands, ready for war. Slick cords restrained them, the knots tied thick. As if they would spring into action without proper precaution. Minerva sat opposite the stand. Her elbows rested on her knees.

 

"So you're the infamous Captain of The Queensguard," said Ludwig. He propped his neck with a pillow. The metallic wall at his back creaked.

 

Minerva faced him. "And you're Bowser's incompetent second in command."

 

"My reputation proceeds me," Ludwig let the weight of his head take hold and he contemplated his toes, "you're half right. I'm not his second in command anymore." Wild hair hid his face. He snorted and batted the ornery locks.

 

"The child is," Minerva mumbled. Bowser the second. It sounded too regal for the brat in Vine's care. "You lost your job to him?"

 

"It's a long and pathetic story." The bridge of Ludwig's muzzle tightened.

 

"I'll say," Roy said. He sat in a corner of the cargo car.

 

"Thanks for your input Roy, really appreciate it."

 

Roy smirked and rapped his knuckles on a wooden crate. "Anytime."

 

"How are your wounds?" She asked in her humorless way.

 

A fire lit in Roy's eyes and jumped to his feet. The crown of his head struck the ceiling. He swung to his knees. His claws massaged the offended area. "The only reason I haven't ground you into paste yet is because we need Mario's stupid train."

 

"Not at all because you brought fists to a sword fight." She sniped. Her voice rang on the metallic roof.

 

Roy pouted and put his back to her.

 

Ludwig glowered at her. The hint of sparks formed at his fingertips. Roy met his eyes and he shook his head.

 

"Why are you even back here?" Ludwig grumbled. "We're not going anywhere."

 

"Don't think I've forgotten that it's your fault we're in this mess." Minerva paced her armor and stroked the gauntlet. "You and your kind are far more trouble than you're worth, but orders are orders."

 

"We never really hurt anyone. At least, that's never been our aim."

 

"Must be easy to say from your airships and towers." Her frigid eyes cast themselves upon Ludwig. Her gaze as callous as her combat worn knuckles. "Know this, beast, it is only for her majesty's safety that I do not end your life here."

 

"Spare me that white knight tripe, you're not the only one with issues here," Ludwig snorted and he steadied himself to his full height, careful not to repeat Roy's mistake. His wild blue mane brushed the ceiling, "people I care about are trapped with lunatics, what wavering iota of my reputation crashlanded on enemy soil, Mushroomers can't build a big enough train, and now I've got you to talk down to me."

 

Minerva stared up at him. Her expression statuesque. Her pointed chin jutted outward as she drilled into his soul with predatory eyes.

 

Uneasiness welled in his gut. For a moment he forgot his eight and a half foot tall stature and in that moment felt a child again. Helpless in the face of a killer. His face must have betrayed the emotion for Minerva bared her teeth in a monstrous smile.

 

"I know that look." Roy broke the silence. His cheeks dour.

 

The pissing match took an abrupt end.

 

"Excuse me?" She said

 

"This isn't about knights or Peach even, this is about you," Roy sighed, "not sure if you tell yourself you are fighting for something, or if you're only fighting to fight, but don't delude yourself. I know that look."

 

For once in the time they knew her, a certain weakness manifested in the warrior's countenance. The sag of her jaw. The slope of her shoulders. All at once it disappeared in a cloud of rage. She stormed out of the cargo car, embarrassed at the chip in her armor.

 

"And good riddance," Ludwig mumbled and propped himself on the wall once more, "I always knew you had a certain charm about you, Roy. The rare ability to chase any woman out of a room."

 

Roy wore an uneasy smirk. "Bite me."

 

"What was that all about anyway?" Ludwig crossed his arms. "You know something I don't."

 

"She's a baker and that's the longest version I know."

 

Ludwig nodded. Content not to press his brother further. Nothing good ever came of that. He watched the suits of armor, stilted and dead. He had half a mind to blast them to pieces.

 

**X-X-X**

 

The lights flickered and the Maelstrom hung in the sky. An obsidian scar in the endless blue.

 

"What's going on?" said Peach.

 

"We're dead in the water. In a manner of speaking," Morton put his face to the window. Cacti spread for miles on end. "Must be more reactor trouble."

 

"Not surprised." Wendy tugged at her bow. "These clones are falling apart, why not the ship too?"

 

Peach put her back to the wall. "Maybe we don't have to force the ship to land after all."

 

"Yeah, good luck surviving the crash," Wendy stepped back from the window and knocked on the door. "Hey, the heck is going on out there?"

 

The door clicked. Kootie Pie's nonplussed expression peered in the crack. "For the last time, I don't know what's going on either."

 

"And you didn't ask anyone?" Wendy's nostrils flared.

 

"It's my job to babysit you losers and I wouldn't be caught dead abandoning my post." Kootie Pie pointed her claw to the ground and stamped her foot.

 

"Convenient that you care about your job all of a sudden."

 

"Bully asked me to."

 

"Him? Of all the stupid people you listen to on this ship and it's that brute." Wendy snapped.

 

"It's like you and Roy." Peach tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear and approached the door. "Of course she listens to him."

 

Wendy huffed and her bow tumbled. She slapped it back on her head. Thoughts turned toward her brother.

 

Crash landed and covered in bruises, practically without his eyes. A bitter bile burned the back of her throat. Larry was stuck with him too. Was it irony or poetic justice?

 

"Kootie Pie, is it?" Peach's nose scrunched. "Wendy's onto something here. You didn't much care for the one in charge until Bully said something."

 

"And you called her, what, queen twitch?" Wendy's eyes lit. "You're not in this for her at all."

 

The clone stared hard at Peach.

 

"She's in it for herself," Morton said, his tone of voice matter of fact.

 

"I..." Kootie Pie's jaw wavered. She yanked the door.

 

Wendy stuck her knee forward and held the door in place. She bit back tears. "You're just going through the motions then. Locking us up here and treating us like crap because you feel like it?"

 

Kootie Pie scoffed and tried to shove Wendy's leg back into the room.

 

"Oh no you don't you little brat," Wendy pushed her clone.

 

"This isn't about you, alright?" Kootie Pie snapped. "She's got Bully under her thumb. The moment I step out of line he would...he would..."

 

"No. He wouldn't." Peach thought of Roy and Wendy at the castle. The elder brother battered and broken, she clung to his side. It all made sense. "You're afraid on his behalf. He's not the only one she has under her thumb."

 

Kootie Pie stared at her feet.

 

"You think your brothers would turn on each other for some promised glory?"

 

"I don't put it past Kooky," said Kootie Pie.

 

"Kootie Pie," Peach swallowed the name like a bitter pill, "I think we all know that Amanita's end game doesn't include your brothers. Sooner or later she will dispose of them."

 

Kootie Pie watched Peach. Her eyes moist. The irises danced. The woman scrutinized the creature's expression.

 

"No. You're not playing these mind games with me. You're just like her." She dug her heel into Wendy's foot.

 

Wendy reeled backward and Kootie Pie slammed the door shut.

 

"Sonuva-" Wendy bit her bottom lip and winced.

 

Morton watched the door. "Just as stubborn as the real thing."

 

"I think we planted some seeds of progress." Peach smoothed her tattered gown. "And we learned something important."

 

"Hm?"

 

"She cares."

 

**X-X-X**

 

Iggy sniffled, slick blood dribbled down his throat. The broad shadow loomed in the dimly lit cargo bay. Knotted chains clanged on the floor.

 

"I'm done being polite." Bully cracked his knuckles.

 

"You hit like a goomba," Iggy wheezed.

 

Bully pounded his stomach. Bile burned his throat and he heaved. Hot spittle tickled his lips.

 

Bigmouth leaned around his older brother and his hands fidgeted. He winced and gasped along with Iggy's pain.

 

"That the best you-"

 

Bully struck him again. He railed his body. Meaty thuds echoed. Bigmouth looked away.

 

Iggy dangled like a hog on a hook. Pain encompassed his entire being. He tried to focus on something, anything other than his searing insides.

 

"I can go all day." Bully wrapped his fingers around the nape of Iggy's neck. He lowered the taller koopaling to his level.

 

"Me too." Iggy spit on his shades.

 

"Stubborn little punk, ain't you," Bully dug his claws into Iggy's arms and raked, "wish I caught you on a different day, I needed a new punching bag."

 

Iggy winced and grit his teeth. He gulped stale air. Tears burned the cut on his cheek.

 

"I gotta admit, you've got way more fight in you than I expected," Bully shoved Iggy and watched his pendulum sway, "I figured you'd be broken hours ago. I'm dyin' to know, what's your secret?"

 

"You crashed my airship."

 

"You're gonna wreck this one too if you don't give up that password."

 

"Wow, really? It's almost like that was my intention."

 

Bully's snout twitched. He reached out toward Bigmouth. "I need a blunt instrument."

 

The rotund mock-koopaling covered his mouth and stammered. "I think your fists are adequate enough, I mean, have you been working out? Look at those rib crackers."

 

"I wasn't asking for an opinion," Bully raised his fist.

 

Bigmouth froze. His irises darted left and right. "He can't tell you the password if he's dead. And I know you, you won't know when to quit. Right? It'll be too much fun. And Amanita won't much care for you after you lose the password." Bigmouth covered his face.

 

Bully lowered his fist and snorted. "Okay, you have a point."

 

"I do?" Bigmouth peeked between his fingers and smiled. He shook his head. "Yeah, I do. Physically hurting him isn't doing the trick. Y'know? Maybe you should try something more cerebral."

 

Iggy glared at Bigmouth and shook his head. He mouthed "shut up." Bigmouth's attention trained on Bully. Iggy's pleas fell on deaf ears.

 

"The little one," Bully grinned, "twerp kept bugging us to let you stick with him. He told us he'd do anything to help you."

 

Don't crack. Iggy's chest seared. Heat blistered in his insides. He imagined his intestines boiling. Don't let him win.

 

"I wonder, would you do the same?" Bully gently patted Iggy's shoulder and left him to dangle in the dim lights.

 

**X-X-X**

 

The Mushroom Express staggered to a halt. The brakes hissed. Junior steadied himself. He craned his neck to take in the sight of the Stonekeeper mountains. A coat of dust the color of terra cotta descended.

 

Junior yawned and his inner ears popped. "About time." He massaged his head.

 

Passengers spilled onto the sandstone platform in throngs. Junior ducked the door frames and sucked his stomach. The idle din of chatter grew. He followed the voices toward the exit.

 

A hot breeze beat his brow. He squinted and raised the flat of his palm to block the sunlight. Mario's cherry red cap contrasted the sea of Toads.

 

Stonekeeper guards saluted the king and shooed the gawkers.

 

The crowd murmured.

 

"Mario's with the Koopas?"

 

"I thought they kidnapped the queen?"

 

They silenced in Junior's presence. The fainthearted dispersed. Cautious gazers remaind. A few lowered their voices and put their backs to him. Mushroomers sure knew how to make a guy feel welcome.

 

"There you are!" Vine shouted. He hopped the train's steps and jogged. "Stop wandering off like that."

 

"Not my fault you can't pay attention," Junior smirked.

 

"Laugh it up kid," the young lieutenant jabbed Junior, "you won't be able to with a muzzle."

 

"Fine, fine, sheesh."

 

Vine crossed his arms behind his head and strutted. "So, you ready to get your shell back?"

 

"That sounds pretty great right about now."

 

They walked the length of the train. Stonekeeper guards assembled. A pack of nomadimice clustered at their rear. Doublewide cargo doors opened. Ludwig's wild mane left the train before the rest of him. The guards drew their weapons and surrounded the beastly creature.

 

"Really?" Ludwig knuckled his temples.

 

"At ease boys, he's on our side this time," Vine waved at the guards.

 

Their stances eased but their weapons trained on the koopaling. Ludwig helped Roy from the cargo car, glancing at the hostile crowd in minor intervals. He guided his younger brother a few steps.

 

A gauze blindfold blocked his sensitive eyes.

 

Roy's nostrils twitched. "Fresh air, thank the Stars," he coughed.

 

Junior took care as he approached. His eldest brother was no doubt at his most irritable. Packed like luggage can do that to a guy. He watched Roy stumble a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, Vine, any idea where we can grab some sunglasses? One that can fit a Koopa."

 

Vine climbed into the cargo car. "I dunno about Koopa specific," he scooped his rapier from a box and fastened it to his hip, "but there might be something in one of the station shops."

 

Junior ducked into the car. His pine green shell rested in the corner. "Think you can give me a moment?" Junior's cheeks burned rosy.

 

Vine sighed and shut the cargo doors behind him. "Make it quick, kid, we need to be on the move ASAP."

 

Junior kicked off the ill-fitting loaner pants and tugged the shirt up his body. He hooked the shell to his back. His clumsy digits fumbled the straps tight. The weight hugged him like a lost brother.

 

He slid the door and peeked.

 

"I'll never understand the shell thing," Vine muttered and plucked his helmet from its stand. He brushed his sleeve on the visor. It glimmered in the sunlight.

 

"Oh yeah, what about the mushroom thing?" Junior folded his arms.

 

"It's what Toadstools do." Vine tucked the helmet into a chest and sorted his armor. Spare underclothing lined the base of the box. He squatted and lifted the chest. Sweat pearled his brow.

 

"Need help with that?"

 

"I'm good." Vine wheezed. His foot caught the lip of the train car. Junior caught the chest of belongings, Vine crashed.

 

"How'd a dork like you land a Lieutenant gig?" Junior handed the box to a pair of Stonekeeper guards.

 

"Luck, mostly," Vine dusted his shirt and prodded his scuffed elbow. The guards laughed through their teeth. "So, why sunglasses?"

 

"What?"

 

Vine's lips pursed. "Why do you need sunglasses?"

 

"Oh, right," Junior twiddled his fingers and lowered his voice, "see, my brother doesn't wear sunglasses for show. His eyes are terribly sensitive to light."

 

Vine rubbed his chin. "No kidding." His boots scuffed the sandstone.

 

The duo followed the platform. A lack of slack-jawed bystanders lifted a weight from Junior's shoulders. Vine cupped his palms and put the 'O' to his lips. "Your majesty?"

 

Mario snapped to attention and faced the general direction of the noise. He lifted the bill of his cap.

 

"Permission to hunt down a pair of sunglasses."

 

Mario quirked his right eyebrow.

 

"For the pink guy," Vine nodded his head in Roy's direction, "can't see in regular light apparently."

 

Mario's brow eased and his gaze softened. "Much as I want to, we've lost too much time already."

 

"And we'll lose even more if he can't see." Junior leaned forward. His eyes flared. "You're squandering one of the toughest guys I know. You've seen him in action."

 

Mario folded his arms and straightened his back. The two matched glares. "You have twenty minutes," Mario pointed at Vine, " and not a second over, lieutenant."

 

"Yessir." Vine saluted and yanked Junior's arm. The toad snagged, anchored by Junior's weight.

 

Junior's feet fumbled one another. His broad stride bought him twice Vine's pace. The shorter of the two sprinted to keep up.

 

"Where do we start?"

 

"There's one of those kitschy gift shops around here somewhere." Vine's head scanned the tourist trap establishments. Heavy-eyed toads curled on benches awaiting their departure. A yoshi manned the baker's stall. Sweet cinnamon scents tickled Junior's nose.

 

A shyguy strummed a light chord progression on his guitar. Melancholy jazz licks resolved by a shift to the major. Golden coins glimmered in the instrument's case. Vine skidded to a halt.

 

"Hey, hey," Vine gasped for breath, "sir, we are in urgent need of a pair of sunglasses. No time to explain."

 

The shyguy's expressionless mask gazed through Vine's soul. He sat, silent. Muffled breathing rushed the mouth hole.

 

Junior opened his maw, Vine shushed him.

 

The shyguy guitarist pointed at a directory. Travelers encircled it in uneven rows. A shrine of information.

 

"Perfect," Vine reached into his pocket and dropped a fistful of coins into the tip bin.

 

The guitarist cast a glance at the money. His emotions muddled by the indifferent expression on his mask. Junior and Vine b-lined the directory. The Koopa prince glanced back once: the shyguy waved at him.

 

"Stars, those guys creep me out," Junior shuddered.

 

"You're one to talk," Vine skidded to a halt, a wall of wayward travelers blocked his path, "is this the only damn directory in the whole station?"

 

Junior fidgeted. His irises cast downward. "I freak people out," he smirked, "here I'll handle this." Junior tromped up to the travelers, he straightened his spine and puffed out his chest in an attempt to appear bigger than he already was.

 

It started when a bespectacled Toad peeked over his shoulder at the noise, he gasped and shuffled out of the way. The rest of the crowd caught on quick. Vine shimmied the gaps. His forehead trained on the directory.

 

He mumbled pardons and 'excuse me's and examined the map. "Gift shop, gift shop, gift shop," he traced the colored paths on the plastic, "there." He tapped a pink square beside a pretzel joint.

 

"That's practically on the opposite side of the station," Junior stomped his left foot.

 

"This was your idea, hotshot," Vine patted Junior's arm. His thick soled boots clomped the stone floors. Junior fought to keep the pace. They reached the ending point and dashed into the gift shop.

 

"Afternoon," a toad girl at the register chirped, "how can I...oh dear," she ducked behind her counter in the presence of the koopa prince.

 

"Please tell me you have large novelty sunglasses hiding somewhere in this shop." Vine swiveled in circles, eyeballing the walls.

 

Junior's broad frame brushed a rack of shirts. White cotton with a print of the mountains on the chest. Two tumbled from their hangars. They bunched on the floor. Junior sipped a sharp breath and mumbled 'sorry.'

 

Junior eased the shirts on the rack and his shell bumped a mug from its display.

 

Vine reached with his hand. The mug landed in his palm. "Might be best if you wait outside."

 

Junior sucked in his stomach and wiggled out of the store. His lips curled inward as he touched his elbow. The longer he lingered in the world cut too small, the more he wished for home and his father. Caustic glances burned the back of his head, the toads hated him, and that was the way of the world beyond the ash.

 

The koopa prince paced. Sunbaked sandstone tickled the soles of his feet. He savored the warmth. They reminded him of the volcanic embers of the Darklands.

 

"What's taking him?" Junior slid his hands along his thighs. His claws raked the keratin scales. Right. He freed himself from the convenience of pockets. Cold overcast swarmed the station thoroughfares and the sable colored pavement blackened.

 

Junior's attention shifted toward cloudless sky. A ship outlined by radiant corona blotted the sun. His maw sagged open and shut several times in succession. The tongue danced for words.

 

"Hope these work for him," Vine shuffled from the shop, he held a pair of sunglasses shaped like stars. The magenta frame twinkled. "I dunno how they do things in your country, but we say 'thanks' around these...parts..." Vine's knuckles whitened.

 

"We need to move," Junior whispered.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Morton's sparse hairs clung to his forehead. The salty bite of sweat on his tongue. He fanned his face with his palm. A chill teased his cheeks, but it never satisfied. He watched his sister.

 

She paced the room. She picked her teeth with her claws. Her spare hand fiddled with her bow. Her moist eyes twinkled in the natural sunlight.

 

"This is it, this is our chance," Wendy dragged her claws over her smooth head, "they're distracted and-"

 

"And we've got nowhere to go," Morton mumbled. "So what if we get out of the room, the ground's a long drop from here."

 

Wendy drew a sharp breath. Her lips set in a hard line. Morton wished he could feel the ice in her stare.

 

"At least I'm being proactive, all you've done is pout and scare a clone half to death."

 

Morton turned his body away from her.

 

"No you don't," Wendy stomped toward her younger brother. Even seated he looked so much larger than her. "I'm sick of," she huffed and her hands trembled, "of your attitude. I've been nothing but nice to you this whole trip. I gave you your space. What is your deal?"

 

A bitter growl parted his lips.

 

"You're really that bitter?" she snapped at him and stamped her foot, "it's been years Morton."

 

"Kids," Peach said, "we've got enough problems as it is."

 

"Stay out of this," Wendy glowered at the monarch, "just because dad forced you to babysit us back in the day doesn't make you any more our mom than-"

 

Morton swiped at Wendy. She gasped and fell on her back. His claws swiped empty air.

 

Peach ran to Wendy and helped the koopaling to her feet. The shock in her eyes gave way to fire. She shoved Peach and tackled Morton.

 

The scuffle was short lived. Morton twisted her and pinned her with his weight. She scratched the air about his face. Morton held her to the ground by her wrists. His fingers fleshy shackles.

 

"Morton, let her go."

 

Morton and Wendy turned toward Peach.

 

The woman stood heads shorter than Morton and barely tall as Wendy, and despite it all, she had a way of making him feel small. Koopas barely phased her. A fact he forgot.

 

Morton trembled, "you don't know her like I do."

 

Wendy spit, "right, you got me, putting my life on the line to save your sorry ass back at Castle Toadstool was all part of my master plan to ruin your life."

 

"What is this really about?" Peach tugged on his forefinger.

 

He shrunk into himself.

 

"You used to be so much like that clone," Peach whispered and her gaze grew distant, "talked a tad too much, but only because you wanted to share the things that excited you."

 

Morton drew a trembling breath.

 

"Answer me, Morton."

 

He shirked. Morton stared at Peach with moist eyes and sniffled. "It's a long story."

 

"You've plenty of time to tell it."

 

Morton bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. The memory was etched in his synapses. Burned into the gray matter grooves and cut deep into his soul. He remembered the scent of old books on dusty shelves. The sulfur from the volcanoes stank a pinch less than usual.

 

It was a good morning.

 

"I was returning books to the family library..."

 

**X-X-X**

 

Morton propped leather bound volumes labeled "Koopa Chronicles." He tucked their missing brother in the gap. United at last, or for now, at least.

 

"Are you done yet?" Wendy said. Her pink bow bounced.

 

"Gimme a sec," he whispered. He squinted at the numbered spines. Six, five, four-- yes, four. He delicately grasped the worn leather cover with his claws. A cloud of dust descended the koopalings. Morton coughed and stifled a sneeze with his arm. "Got it," irritated tears welled, "Stars, doesn't someone clean in here?"

 

Wendy brushed her cheek clean, careful not to smudge her makeup. "You've got your dumb book, now let's go."

 

Morton tucked the book over his heart like a shield. His tail swooshed in happy motions. "Family history isn't dumb."

 

"It is when Kamek writes it," Wendy scrunched her nose the way one does in the onset of a yawn.

 

"I'll be the first to admit that his prose is kinda dry," Morton thumbed open the book, "but it's concise and to the point. He doesn't dwell and it gives outsiders an objective look at our history. Plus, it's juicy stuff. Don't you ever wonder what kind of person grandpa was? Where he came from?"

 

"Not really," Wendy rolled her eyes.

 

Morton snorted and pinched the stiff paper at the corner. A block of sharp runic text filled the right-hand page. "Aw shoot," Morton followed the alien lettering with his claw, "Kamek hasn't translated this one yet."

 

Wendy squinted at the text. "Then what was the point of this detour?"

 

"Maybe he translated some of it," Morton flipped the pages, irises dancing, a search for familiar words and phrases,

 

The rotund koopaling bowed his head. He stopped turning pages. A crude illustration of a fanged beast awaited him on his stopping point. It resembled a naked Koopa. Morton blushed and covered the anatomy with his thumb.

 

"Great, that's what I needed to see," Wendy mumbled.

 

"Grow up," Morton examined the illustration further. A jagged 'S' with a dash in the middle marked the beast's belly, "see this is the interesting part. I recognize that symbol from other pictures in the books. And get this, Kamek gets awfully quiet when I mention it and-"

 

"This is interesting and all," Wendy tugged his arm, "but we need to get going."

 

Morton huffed and slammed the book shut. Why didn't anyone listen? His bottom lip pooched.

 

"You promised you'd help." Wendy placed a fist on her right hip and shifted her weight, "we've only got a few days."

 

"Okay, okay," he sighed, "so what's the skinny on operation B-day?"

 

"Thought you'd never ask."

 

The duo walked the dusty library. Electrical lights dangled the rafters like swoopers. Networks of wiring writhed in complex networks. A nascent hum lingered in the air.

 

Morton followed Wendy. Tempted to check his book again. Of course, that would make her mad. He didn't want that. So he kept his mouth shut and listened to her lofty plans for Bowser junior's birthday bash.

 

A crash snagged his concentration.

 

"The heck was that?" Wendy covered her ears.

 

Morton ignored her and followed the noise.

 

A gasp and chatter lead him to the epicenter. He peeked between the bookcase. Kamek laid on his back. Books piled atop him.

 

A purple robed Magikoopa plucked the books from his chest. "Are you alright sir?"

 

Kamek sat straight. His glasses crooked on his beak. The older Magikoopa rubbed his lower back and steadied himself. "I'm fine, Kamilla," he sighed and fixed his glasses, "a mere lapse in concentration is all. Let's try again." Kamek raised his wand and stood before the books.

 

Kamilla mimed the motion.

 

"The catalyst is an extension of your will," he levitated the books, the gem docked in the wand flickered, "focus is key."

 

"Focus is key." Kamilla nodded and waved her wand. Three books fluttered from the ground. Dust swirled around them. Pages fluttered on cushions of air currents.

 

Morton watched enthralled.

 

Kamek's books sputtered from his control and slammed to the ground. The light in his wand dulled. The older magikoopa wiped his forehead.

 

"Sir, perhaps you should take a break," Kamilla tucked her wand into her robe.

 

"Nonsense. Mario doesn't take breaks, I'm certain."

 

"Didn't he just get home from a vacation to the Yoshi isles?"

 

"See, that's the trick. It was no mere vacation. Rather, he took the time to build rapport with those fiendish fruit eaters." Kamek rubbed his temple. "Again, again."

 

"You're in no shape to teach me anything, this is the third time you've dropped those books."

 

Kamek's frame sulked. The robes bunched on his shoulders. "I need the distraction, dear Kamilla."

 

"From what?"

 

His glasses shimmered in the morning light. "I forget, you're new blood," an apologetic smile turned the dimples in his cheeks, "lord Bowser gets into one of his moods this time of year and I, fortunate as I am, get front row seats."

 

"Stars above," Kamilla rubbed her cheek, "seems like every other month he's in some sort of mood."

 

He climbed a chair and his legs dangled off the side.

 

Kamilla picked the books up one by one and fit them into their proper homes.

 

Morton crouched and held his breath. Schiff. Schiff. Her robes dragged on the stone floor. The sound of lava pumps churned beyond the windows.

 

"What does he have to be upset about? If anything he should be excited. The prince's birthday has been the talk of the castle for a week now." Kamilla glanced over her shoulder.

 

"He is excited, certainly, to think his child lived to see more than three birthdays..." Kamek cleared his throat, "but his life cost another's."

 

Thick silence laid heavy on Morton's shoulders. The sparse hairs on his head stood on end. His heart pounded in his ears. He shimmied a book from a shelf and peered through the gap.

 

Kamilla and Kamek sat across one another in oversized chairs. Like a pair of children playing make believe. A shadow draped Kamek's face as he bowed his head.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open old wounds," Kamilla rubbed her arm.

 

"That's quite alright," he smiled at her, "you'd think by now all of us would have moved on." He dropped from the chair. "The mark she made on this family is impossible to deny since, well, it wouldn't be much of a family without her."

 

"The koopalings," Kamilla nodded. Her beaky lips clenched. "I have to say, she certainly wasted no time producing heirs," she mumbled. Her back went rigid. Rosy colors flushed her cheeks. Morton stifled a chuckle, poor girl forgot who she was talking to.

 

"In a manner of speaking, yes, she did," Kamek traced circles on the table top with his fingertips, a soft sigh ragged by his age parted his lips, "you know, I hate secrets."

 

Kamilla shirked at his change in tone.

 

"Miserable little seeds that ache in the bones. Surprised they haven't driven me to an early grave."

 

"Then why keep them?"

 

"It's to protect loved ones. At least, that's what I tell myself," Kamek said, "and it gnaws at me. My mother once told me that a firm house stands on an honest foundation, or some such old wive's saying."

 

"Perhaps secrets should stay secrets then."

 

"I'm sure everyone has guessed it by now, and the only reason I play along is because I've devoted most of my life to them that by now, it would seem foolish to stop."

 

"Stop talking about it in circles," Kamilla slammed her hand on the table and immediately retracted the motion, "sorry, sir, so sorry."

 

He showed her a tired grin, "no I'm sorry, it's a terrible habit I've developed. Curious souls badger me, 'why do they all look so different?' and I answer them by not answering and they get fed up and leave."

 

"Well, they do look very different. Not at all like their father."

 

Kamek drew a long breath. He set his glasses on the table. The glazed irises of his age-worn eyes set to focus. "Dear Kamilla, he isn't their father." Kamek sighed. "And she isn't their mother. The only one with such an honor is young Bowser the second."

 

Morton's bones locked. The sound of his breathing echoed in his ears and teased his soul. The koopaling backed from the bookcase. He covered his mouth.

 

"We're adopted," Wendy mumbled. She tasted the word on the tip of her teeth and stared at Morton. Waiting for him to speak. To divulge his thoughts.

 

Adopted? Morton rubbed his cheeks. Of course, nitwit, there was Ludwig and his blue hair. Roy's pink complexion. Lemmy's natural rainbow locks. And then there was Morton himself.

 

He stared at his darker skin and years of questions resolved themselves with one single explanation. "We have to tell the others," he whispered.

 

Wendy stared at the ground and her knees shivered. A weakness in her normally strong cheeks manifested. She looked ready to vomit. "No way. Luddy and Roy won't even believe you."

 

"Maybe not me, but they'd believe two of us," he grabbed Wendy's shoulders and his face waxed stern. His adolescent features suddenly mature, "c'mon Wendy, if there's one thing I hate, it's liars. And look at us, they've been lying to us this whole time." He waved at the bookcase. "The rest of us deserve to know the truth."

 

Wendy nodded apprehensively. her lip curled inward and her nascent fangs exposed. Her pupils shrunk.

 

He took her by the arm and they abandoned any notion of birthdays.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Chill water splashed Lemmy's forehead and trickled down the contours of his rounded nose. He grimaced at the reflection. A child's nose. He despised the adolescent quality to his features. Tired shadows lumped in the bags beneath his eyes and he realized he only resembled a tired child and not an adult.

 

Twenty years old. His father married and built his home at such an age.

 

And him?

 

He was trapped in a bleak black sky box with no escape. His best friend wanted nothing more to do with him. He traced the thick white scar on his chest. The tissue glistened in the phosphorescent light.

 

Three terse knocks vibrated the door. "I'm in here," Lemmy said. His tone shorter than he intended.

 

"You need to move, now," Hip's muffled voice traveled through the metal door. His diction short and breathless.

 

Lemmy fastened his shell. Leisurely motions stroked the fasteners and clipped the shoulder straps. He opened the door a crack. "What's going on?"

 

Hip reached into the crack and tore Lemmy from the bathroom. His fingers wrapped tight around the slightly taller koopaling's forearm. He put a claw to his lips and they ducked through the hallway and into a room where Hop waited.

 

Hop stared lazily at the ceiling and clasped his fingers over his chest. A pensive look overtook his eyes and he wet his lips with the tip of his slender tongue. He took an aloof notice of his sudden guests.

 

"Bully's looking for you," Hip shook Lemmy's shoulders.

 

"That's what you're freaking out about, c'mon dude," Lemmy chortled and his posture relaxed, "you guys made a deal with the boss lady, didn' you?"

 

"Like that's supposed to mean something." Hip rolled his eyes. "Iggy screwed the ship. I don't know how or what he did, but we're losing altitude." He took Lemmy by the hand and led him to the nearest porthole. Sure enough, the crusted cracks in the desert grew in detail. Round cacti cast long looming shadows.

 

Lemmy gulped. "Little bro did it..."

 

"Far as Amanita's concerned, deal's off," Hip grabbed Lemmy by the jaw and forced Lemmy's eyes to align with his, "Iggy knows how to fix the ship, and Bully can't break him, but..." Hip drew a sad breath.

 

"Hurting you might do the trick." Hop sat up on the bed and stared out at Lemmy.

 

"Afraid they've got the wrong brother," Lemmy chuckled, "the way Iggy probably sees it, this is poetic justice."

 

"That's not going to stop him from hurting you."

 

The room fell silent and the roar of falling altitude waged war beyond the windows. Lemmy pressed his face against the cool glass. He missed the ground. He missed his brother.

 

"Not like I have a lot of places to hide."

 

"You don't need to hide, you need to run." Hop mumbled. "The ship will eventually touch the ground."

 

"Guess you did get Iggy's brain." Lemmy grinned at Hop. The clone blushed and bowed his head.

 

Hip peeked out the door and watched the halls. A few guards scrambled. Clamoring for fixes that never manifested. Traitor and clone alike worked panels in search of workarounds. Hip eased the door shut.

 

"We can give you a headstart, but you're going to have to trust me," Hip watched Lemmy.

 

"What did you have in mind?"

 

**X-X-X**

 

Bully and a handful of crew members marched the halls. They split in squads. Each scoured nearby rooms and shouted all clears. Hip either ignored the frantic calls for him or was unable to answer them. Bully's lips tightened into a hard line.

 

Navigating another dead airship. Was this to be his fate? Stuck playing hide and seek in airships.

 

"Hey, we found something!" A mole called from a nearby room.

 

The search party crowded the doorway and Bully forced his way in. His wide frame batted aside moles.

 

Hip lay on the floor in a heap. A rounded lump on the back of his head. Moles prodded him with their clawed toes. Hip groaned hoarsely.

 

Bully crouched beside Hip. He nudged him. "You let him escape."

 

"He jumped me," Hip massaged the back of his head and wobbled, "news got out that you were looking for him."

 

"Where's Hop?"

 

"He chased after the jerk last I saw."

 

"Which way?"

 

Hip's muzzle scrunched and he winced. A pained hiss parted his lips. "It happened so fast, I don't know..."

 

"You're kidding me," Bully stomped around the room and punched the wall. Thunderous resonance hummed throughout the room. The metal warped like thumbs on foil.

 

"You know I think it's all becoming clear." Hip's knees trembled. "Try left."

 

Bully and crew drained the room as fast as they had flooded it.

 

Hip sighed at the emptiness. The stiffness in his gut eased. He prayed Hop gained enough ground for his part of the game.

 

**X-X**

 

Hop fought to keep Lemmy's pace. Despite his stride advantage, the taller of the two horked gulps of air. Hot sweat pearled on his forehead.

 

"Damn dude, nice acting chops," Lemmy twirled on his heel and jogged backward, "it's almost like you're really chasing me."

 

Hop mumbled a venomous phrase. Lemmy needed only to hear the first syllable. The shorter of the two giggled.

 

"Not the first time I've been called that."

 

"I could let Bully catch you."

 

"I'm pulling your leg Stretch." Lemmy slowed his pace enough for Hop to catch his breath. His smile faded a split second before he caught himself.

 

"What did you call me?" Hop cocked his head. A confused lilt in his voice.

 

"I did say it out loud," Lemmy murmured, "it's what I call tall people."

 

"So everyone then?"

 

"You know you remind me of this one asshole I know," Lemmy smiled and for a moment he thought he saw Hop smile back.

 

The deep gloom of Bully's steps forced his spine erect. He hiked his pace from a jog to a sprint. Hop hurled himself forward to match pace.

 

"You're sure about this?" Lemmy gasped between his panicked pants.

 

Hop merely nodded. His lungs preoccupied with keeping him conscious.

 

"If this all pans out," Lemmy wiped sweat from his forehead "then Iggy's got a lot of apologizing to work on."

 

"Shut up and run." Hop's glasses twisted on his face and they tumbled on the ground. He bowed back to scoop them up and tried to regain his pace.

 

Lemmy shut up and ran.

 

"Move your legs, moron," Bully charged past Hop.

 

Hop tangled his legs with Bully's the two of them crashed to the floor in a writhing knot. Bully roared and kicked Hop off him, but the damage was done.

 

Lemmy glanced back once to see Bully's face change a darker shade of pink and he bulleted down the halls.

 

He was on his own from there on out.

 

Lemmy visualized a faucet spilling water in constant motion. Steady, paced, even. He pounded the carpeting and forced his sightlines forward. He could not afford to lose even a single inch against Bully.

 

Weaponry clanked. He saw a mole's pointed muzzle peek round the corner. Lemmy smashed the mole into a wall. A second mole swung a thin gray cudgel at Lemmy's head.

 

The koopaling rolled under the swipe and broke into a dash. He stuck his tongue at the mole. A throaty chuckle on his breath.

 

Bully rounded the corner behind him and Lemmy fought for concentration. Larger squads of moles armed with flintlock style weaponry gathered at t-junctions. Furious red gems upon the stocks burgeoned light.

 

Lemmy dropped to his stomach and a barrage of fireballs soared overhead. Their heat warmed his back. He sucked a mouthful of breath and hurtled down the opposite path in the t-junction.

 

"Ha, you loser's couldn't even shoot yourselves in the feet if you tried," Lemmy chuckled a moment and his face wavered, "which might be why we always lose."

 

A squad of rogue crew members spilled from the mess hall and crowded the hall to block him. Lemmy skipped across their heads. Bully snagged on the flood of moles. He kicked the aside and threw them around.

 

Armed crew members swarmed behind him. More ambushed him at the end of the hall. Lemmy skidded on his heels. He looked over his shoulder and then at the procession. "Oh boy, Lemmy you're in it deep." He whispered.

 

Faint light spilled from the ceiling. He shielded his face and looked up. A half sealed deck hatch jigged in the atmosphere. He shoved the hatch open and crawled onto the deck.

 

His mohawk lost its form. The wind whipped his hair into a tye-dye kaleidoscope. Dust blasted his nostrils. Dry hot air sapped the moisture from his lips. Sunlight pounded him. A white pillar of stone reached for the stars and opposite that a sand-dusted wasteland.

 

"Almost on the ground." He whispered.

 

Moles cut off every entrance. A swirling fireball streaked past his head. A shrill cackle pierced the roar of the wind.

 

"Whoa, where's the fire," Kooky tucked his wand behind him and strut onto the deck. Bully emerged, his white fangs speckled with dust.

 

Lemmy dumbly pointed over his shoulder at the scorched decking.

 

"Someone thinks he's funny," Kooky cornered Lemmy, "this could have been so much easier. A simple chat with your brother would have done the trick."

 

"Right, because your brother was so intent on talking," Lemmy panted and wiped the dust from his lips.

 

"What?"

 

"The lunatic chase me halfway across the ship."

 

Kooky scowled at Bully. "You always have to make things difficult."

 

Bully ignored his brother and reached for Lemmy.

 

The shorter koopaling smacked Bully's hand. He backed away from the follow-up strike and stuck his tongue at Bully. "I thought you were supposed to fight as good as Roy." He ducked another punch.

 

Bully snarled and lunged at Lemmy.

 

Lemmy sidestepped and kicked Bully's kneecap.

 

The pink faced brute clutched his leg. A sharp gasp parted his lips. The momentum of his upper body continued while his lower body staggered behind. He toppled into a heap.

 

Kooky swung his wand. A fireball burst from the tip at high velocity. Lemmy slid underneath the fire toward Kooky's feet. He kicked back to a standing pose and poked Kooky's stomach. The wild maned mock-koopaling snarled and punched Lemmy's chest.

 

"Whoops, too slow," Lemmy followed the momentum of the punch with his torso. His spine twisted and his muscles relaxed.

 

Kooky's arm extended too far. He stomped the ground in an attempt to catch his balance. His head bowed to Lemmy's level.

 

"Nice try, though." He ruffled Kooky's hair and grimaced. "Ew, do you ever shower?"

 

Lemmy cocked his head. Heavy feet shuffled nearby. He wiped his hand on his thigh and spread his arms. "I sure hope no one sneaks up behind me and," Lemmy cartwheeled from harm's way, Bully pounded Kooky's face full force.

 

Kooky's eyes crossed and his body went limp.

 

"You're good for a punchline," Lemmy covered his mouth, "ouch that pun even hurt me."

 

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Bully gnashed his teeth. His maw stretched open and sparks spilled. Plumes of smoke spilled from his nostrils. Boiling magma burst from his lips.

 

Kooky screeched. "For the love of...he can do it too?"

 

The smirk disappeared from Lemmy's face. Hot muck slathered his right biceps. Lemmy tore the clasp holding his ponytail together. A faint blue gem shimmered in his palms.

 

Water gushed from the gem and steam screamed from his wound. Faint rust colored crust remained on his blistered skin. Lemmy's brow furrowed. His lower eyelids squinched. "Okay, you wanna play hardball, let's play hardball."

 

Lemmy reared his hand back. His balance shifted to one foot. He flipped forward and at peak momentum a streak of yellow flew from his hands. Bully guarded his face. A small rubber ball glanced off his skin.

 

"Friggin clown," Bully dropped his guard and stepped forward.

 

A surprise second ball of solid ice smashed Bully's jaw. A chunk of tooth twirled in the air. Flecks of crimson stained his cheeks. His sunglasses skewed.

 

"Aw did that hurt?" Lemmy spread his fingers and a globule of water formed in the air. He splashed Bully's face.

 

Bully growled and wiped his chin with his forearm.

 

"Maybe you should," Lemmy clenched his finger's tight. Bully gasped. The water on his face flashed white. Hazy frost danced from his cheek. His forearm froze to his skin.

 

"Put some ice on it?" Kooky mumbled, nonplussed.

 

"I wasn't going to say that." Lemmy crossed his arms.

 

Ta-poom. Lemmy's tail twitched. A high pitched whistle pierced his ears. An explosion blasted the stern. The deck rocked and Lemmy lost balance. His catalyst clattered to the ground.

 

Bully grabbed Lemmy by the tail with his free arm and swung him overhead like a small club. He smashed Lemmy's body on the ground. His arms and legs flailed. Bully smashed him again.

 

"You broke," Lemmy coughed, "my everything."

 

Bully dropped the koopaling on the ground and melted the ice on his face. The flesh blackened where the frost burned.

 

"Looking good bro," Kooky burst into a cackle.

 

A mole cried out and pointed off the deck. "Artillery line!"

 

Smoke twirled in the distance and cannon balls whizzed overhead. Bully snarled. "Kooky, get the password, I need to blow off some steam." He cracked his knuckles.

 

"You don't tell me what to do."

 

"Then don't do it, just wait here and get blasted to bits, you're good at that." Bully shoved Kook aside and motioned for the moles to follow him. "To the anchor boys, we're bringing the fight to them."

 

Kooky squatted over Lemmy and dragged him by the tail. "Nyah, nyah, you're good at that, bah, I'll show him what I'm good at." Kooky hissed.

 

Lemmy groaned. His vision hazy. The faint shimmer of his catalyst beckoned. He spread his fingers and reached for it.

 

Kooky kicked the clasp. It clattered across the deck and overboard. Along with Lemmy's hopes of escape.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Roy itched the tape that fastened his glasses to his head. Toads whooped and cheered around him. Hot sand blasted his face and he fell into a coughing fit.

 

Cast iron cannons saluted the sky. Black powder stink tickled Roy's nose. He squinted at the cloned Maelstrom. Its obsidian hull made it appear a shadow in the sky. He drummed his knuckle on the breech.

 

"A fine shot," a pink iron bob-omb's mechanoid voice whirred, the curious automaton inspected the strange koopa.

 

"Fine, but not nearly good enough," Roy adjusted the cannon. He held his thumb to the horizon and visualized arcs. Swooping metal death delivered personally by his hand.

 

A toad in pale armor hauled a shot to Roy and he took it in his hand. He weighed the metal. A vein in his biceps pulsed. "Alright, let's try this again."

 

Ludwig and Larry watched their brother work. Methodical in his testing the aim. His tongue lolled from the corner of his mouth. A soft sigh predicated his lips. "Now."

 

Larry covered his ears and the cannon shouted something fierce. Its bore jerked upward. Their eyes followed the loose arc of the shot. The distant ship bowed. Its shape rocked.

 

"Direct hit." Junior lowered his spyglass and raised his thumb at Roy.

 

Toads manned their cannons in pairs.

 

"Hold on, hold on," Mario waved his arms, "my wife's on there."

 

"They're not aiming for the ship," Roy grumbled.

 

"We're not?" A pair of toads glanced at each other.

 

"No. You're going to lay on pressure, aim to miss," Roy cleared his throat, "I kicked the anthill, you're scaring them out."

 

"Why aren't they shooting back?"

 

Ludwig intejected here, "I can only surmise it's engine trouble."

 

"Koopa engineering at its finest," Minerva's voice echoed in the silver armor, her face hidden behind its visor. "

 

"Oh yeah, and where's your state of the art airship?" Larry growled at her.

 

"Shush," Junior peeked through his spyglass again, "they're lowering the anchor."

 

"Like clockwork." Roy rolled his shoulders and popped his neck. "You guys know what to do."

 

Junior nodded and folded his golden spyglass. "C'mon boys, we've got a Queen to steal back." His plodding toes kicked up sand.

 

Vine lowered his helmet's visor and jogged ahead of Junior. Larry and Cheatsy brought up the rear. A fair few uncertain steps manifested in in the second youngest's gait. His confidence wavered in the face of the glaring heat. Larry wrapped a cloth around his head to disguise his azure hair.

 

Roy watched them disappear at the crescent bulge of a dune.

 

"You sure they're up to it?" Ludwig stood beside Roy.

 

Roy grinned at Ludwig, "we'll find out soon enough won't we?"

 

"You're an ass." Ludwig shook his head. His breath evened. A distinct pink shape dropped from the anchor in the distance.

 

Winds swelled and dust devils swirled. Blue figures watched on the horizon. Their white masks stark in the sand. Like stones in a river.

 

"We've got trouble." Ludwig pointed at the figures.

 

"Scavengers," a nomadimouse said, his voice nary louder than a whisper, "they know better than to get involved."

 

A steady stream of artillery fire lit the desert. The explosions seared for miles. Distant puffs of sand kicked up by the missed cannon shot. Roy raised his hand to motion for cease-fire.

 

He held his breath. Eyes on the Maelstrom's anchor. Ragged sinews tainted the picturesque sand. And all at once it stopped. "Where'd they go?"

 

The sand shifted at the base of the mobile cannon. A sinkhole gaped in the dune. One of the gunners dove from the vortex. The other's leg caught on the wheel and he gasped and screamed.

 

Roy dismantled the wheel with a sturdy kick. A pair of guards pulled their comrade to safety. Amid the chaos, festering dunes swelled behind them. Minerva noticed it first and jabbed one with her sword.

 

The dune squeaked and its pressure abided.

 

Moles burst from the ground and slashed at the toads with their razor claws. A twitching mess of moles surrounded Konrad. He screeched a few notches higher than his voice should have allowed.

 

Rocky unholstered his pipe wrench and beat back the horde. "You'd make a lovely alto Kon."

 

"I should've stayed at the fort." Konrad whimpered and hid behind Rocky.

 

A claw reached from the ground and grabbed Rocky's ankle. The sand parted. Rocky's body disappeared instantly.

 

"Rocky!" Konrad dug in the sand.

 

Rocky and another mole emerged a few feet away. They tumbled in the sand and Rocky beat the other mole with overhead strikes from his wrench. The twitching mole stopped moving, it's body sizzled and faded into the sand.

 

"That's not supposed to happen, is it?" Rocky looked at his wrench and then at the space once occupied by his opponent.

 

"Clones, remember." Konrad dragged Rocky to his feet and tried to dodge the ensuing action.

 

Ludwig and Roy stood back to back. Fists raised. A mole slashed at Ludwig's thigh and he kicked it'ts face. The mole soared in an arc.

 

Two others emerged in its place. One went low. The other jumped off its partner's head to reach Ludwig's face. It dug into his cheek and fresh cuts licked Ludwig's face.

 

He roared and threw the mole off of him. It burrowed into the sand and its partner followed.

 

A fresh pair boiled to the surface. Ludwig aimed his hand and a stream of fire erupted from his claws. The sand solidified into the glass. Two moles visible in the flash freeze. Ludwig grabbed a cannon ball and hurled it into the moles and shattered them to pieces.

 

Their dust scattered to the wind.

 

"Dammit Ludwig," Roy snapped, "you're going to burn out again."

 

Ludwig put his back to his brother and swiped at another pair of moles.

 

Roy scrunched his muzzle. "Fine, this isn't the time anyhow."

 

He was right. Bully finally showed his face. Slack-jawed and panting, a hint of blood on the corner of his lip and his largest fang cracked. Hatred billowed behind his shades.

 

"I'm sick and tired of you guys screwing everything up," he gnashed his teeth and swung for Roy.

 

Roy caught the punch with his forearm and kicked Bully's gut.

 

Bully gagged. The blood left his knuckles. He unleashed a flurry of punches into Roy's torso.

 

The inside of Roy's shell felt wet. His shoulder burned. The koopaling grit his teeth hand clapped his hand's over Bully's ears.

 

Bully yowled and covered his face.

 

Roy dug his heel into Bully's knee and leaned his weight into the knee cap.

 

Bully rolled with the pressure. Roy's leg slipped and dug into the sand. His head slid into Bully's uppercut.

 

Roy's mouth slammed shut and his cheap sunglasses ejected his muzzle. He closed his eyes. Pain overwhelmed his senses. He drew a soft breath and concentrated.

 

Battle cries surrounded him. The clash of claws on armor. His opponent's ragged breath. The smell of blood and spittle tickled his nostrils. The soft whisper of sand ebbing in the shift of Bully's stance.

 

Roy lashed out at the sound. His fist made contact with soft flesh. Bully roared.

 

Roy smelled sulfur and brimstone. Bully's Ember in action. He swung for the scent.

 

The brimstone scent faded and Roy felt taut cheekbones against his knuckles.

 

Then, the sound of armor clanking. Mechanical footsteps to a war drum rhythm. A sword parted its sheath. Hot gauntlets took his hand and smooth plastic rubbed his skin.

 

Roy quickly retrieved his eyes and let the world come back. Bully clutched his jaw. The flesh around his broken tusk swelled purple.

 

"You almost fight like an actual warrior," Minerva muttered and flourished her sword with the twist of her wrist.

 

"I can handle him." Roy hissed.

 

"Me too." She eyeballed the blood trickling down Roy's shoulder.

 

Bully looked between his two opponents. He roared at them and unleashed a surge of magma from his jaws. Roy crouched in front of Minerva. His Ember tanked the blast.

 

Minerva used Roy's back as a step and jumped from the koopaling. Bully twisted his back to her and the blade snagged on his shell. He spun on his heel. The spikes caught the sword and spun it from her hands.

 

She pulled her dagger and Roy reached behind Bully and wrapped his arm around his neck. His biceps tensed, Bully's face flashed red. Minerva jammed the dagger into Bully's stomach.

 

Fire parted his lips and licked Minerva's face.

 

She grunted. Her helmet tumbled from her head. Roy squeezed tighter.

 

"Stars above hit the deck," Ludwig shouted over the chaos.

 

Roy peeked over his shoulder. The distant Maelstrom grew closer. A barrage of sparkling cannon balls twisted in the air.

 


	8. Locking Horns Part 2

###  **Chapter 8: Locking Horns (Part 2)**

 

Lemmy wriggled, the chains chafed his scales. The stagnant hangar stank of body odor. He angled his head to better see his younger brother.

 

Iggy sputtered, his bloodied lip purple and swollen.

 

Lemmy pitied Iggy's sorry state. Despite all that happened, Lemmy blamed himself. If he acted faster. If played his cards smarter with Iggy. If he didn't get caught. If, if, if. He sighed.

 

"Alright beanpole, know what this is?" Kooky waggled his wand in Iggy's face, Iggy turned away, Kooky grabbed him by the chin and forced his attention, "I asked you a question."

 

Iggy's eyes fluttered, concentrated on something in the distance. He retreated inside. To someplace safer. Kooky saw the nervous twitch in Iggy's lips, the trembling moisture of tears in the corners of his eyes. It wasn't working anymore.

 

"It's a rather utilitarian tool," Kooky stepped past Iggy to Lemmy, "weapon, emergency campfire kit, torture device. Oh, the possibilities."

 

The distance in Iggy's eyes faded. His bloodshot sclera quivered. Lemmy and Iggy met gazes.

 

Kooky bounced the head of his wand in his palm. A jagged grin spread on his cheeks. The craziness worked straight into his brow. Loose and jovial. He pressed the wand to Lemmy's knee.

 

"You're a smart guy, aren't you Iggy? Love your math and engineering, how about biology?" Kooky gestured to the wide and empty cargo bay, "do you know the temperature at which bone melts?"

 

Iggy shook his head.

 

"Me neither," Kooky cackled, "let's find out."

 

Lemmy's knee cap sizzled. Flames erupted from his skin. The pain shot up his leg, straight to his ears. He screamed in the primal language of animals. His keratin scales blackened.

 

"Stop it, stop it," Iggy wriggled in his chains, his defiant glare buckled under the weight of his brother's screams, "I'll tell you, alright?"

 

The flames on Lemmy's knee faded. His leg no worse for the wear. Lemmy squinted, the pain felt so real. Breathless, the koopaling stared at his tormentor.

 

"Music to my ears," Kooky ruffled Iggy's matted hair, he leaned close, "spit it out, I haven't got all day."

 

Iggy croaked the password, barely loud enough to register his voice.

 

"I should've guessed," Kooky tucked his wand behind him, a sharp giggle on his throat.

 

Lemmy watched him leave. He shook his leg, praying it still worked. A pins and needles sensation wormed up his knee into his thighs. Lemmy blinked twice. Was it all in his head?

 

"Are you okay?" Iggy's head bowed beneath its weight. The strain of his worst two days finally caught him.

 

"He didn't really hurt me, I think," Lemmy said.

 

Iggy fell silent. He squinted at Lemmy. A network of bloodshot veins scattered his eyes.

 

"You look like crap, dude," Lemmy chuckled, "surprised you lasted two days of this."

 

"So everyone keeps telling me."

 

"It's a compliment, Stretch," Lemmy twisted his wrist and tried to squeeze out of his bonds. The chain links pinched the softer parts of his skin where the scales were thinnest. He yelped.

 

"Why didn't he shut up?" Iggy blinked, his expression blank. A trembling breath on his lips. He sniffled.

 

Lemmy's brow scrunched, until his thoughts waxed lucid. "What's this got to do with Bigmouth?"

 

"He," Iggy bit his bottom lip, "he wanted his brother to stop beating me. So he threw you under the bus."

 

"Oh, so his exact words were 'go beat up Lemmy,' right?"

 

Iggy scowled at the smaller koopaling. "No, not exactly."

 

"Wanted to make sure Stretch, you've got a habit of seeing the truth your own special way," Lemmy sighed, the chains pinched him again.

 

"I didn't have to save you."

 

"You didn't save me, our bucktooth host didn't really want to hurt me, I think." Lemmy wiggled his leg and bent his knee, "it felt pretty dang real, though."

 

Iggy shimmied, the chains suspending him twisted. He put his back to Lemmy.

 

The elder brother rolled his eyes. "It's funny how people stick their necks out for you and your first reaction is to condemn them."

 

Iggy writhed in his chains and yelled. His hair flopped in his eyes. "Is the reason you like to talk down to people because you're so damn short?"

 

"Iggy, come on-"

 

"Oh, if that boy applied himself he could be king if he wanted," Iggy mimicked Bowser's gruff mannerisms and switched to a shrill facsimile of Peach on the fly, "he's solid proof that all Koopas aren't bad, I know it."

 

Lemmy bit his tongue and stared hard at the younger brother.

 

"Look how good he is with his baby brother, his sick baby brother," Iggy seethed. His chest tightened, his voice cracking, "and when I start talking sense, this ungrateful little gremlin turns tail and starts kissing his captor's feet.."

 

The words surrounded Lemmy's being. He soaked a minute. Let the silence build. Let his brother's words sting his own tongue. Iggy growled.

 

"Are you done?" Lemmy finally said.

 

Iggy's chains rattled, he let his weight sink into the stainless steel links.

 

Lemmy cracked a smile, "I would've figured you of all people might come up with something more creative than 'gremlin,' sounds like you've had a long time to stew about this."

 

"I hate you."

 

"No, you don't, and even if you really did, I wouldn't hate you back."

 

Lemmy watched Iggy, a budding sense of doubt in the back of hs mind. Maybe Iggy really did hate him. Why? His mind could not make sense of his brother sometimes.

 

The lights flickered on, a deep hum resonated within the walls. Lemmy squirmed, following the sounds with his eyes.

 

Kooky's tinny voice rang over the intercom. "Battle stations, crew, weapons are back online, we need to buy time for the engine to warm up."

 

A static fumbling sound flickered on the microphone. Like cloth dragged over the receiver. Lemmy winced at the crackling sound.

 

"How many of them..." a soft voice mumbled far away from the mic, "only three? Guess we'd better roll out the welcome mat."

 

The intercom clicked.

 

"Someone's here to save us!" Lemmy cheered.

 

Iggy dangled in silence.

 

**X-X-X**

It was an ordinary weekend at Castle Koopa.

 

The koopalings gathered in their usual hangout: the game room. Childish toys marked with faded colors and peeling paints lay in a discarded box. A large television set, freshly imported from the Earth realm, docked the back wall. Polygons cobbled together to resemble humans interacted in their virtual space.

 

Morton entered. His fingers interlocked and beads of cold sweat on his forehead. The sound of plastic clacking filled the air. Ludwig laid the too-small controller on the floor in front of him and tried his best to manage the inputs.

 

Roy dropped his controller in a huff and uttered a flustered breath. He glanced at Ludwig and attempted to adopt his approach, but it proved too bizarre. His nostrils flared.

 

Lemmy played the controller as it was meant to. Index fingers on the shoulder buttons and thumbs dancing the face pads.

 

All three of them dressed in casual weekend clothing. Loose fitting shirts and shorts. No school. No training. Simple relaxation.

 

"Why don't they make anything in our size?" Roy growled.

 

"Because there isn't anything our size on the Otherside," Ludwig mumbled and squinted, his concentration cracked.

 

Lemmy whooped and his virtual avatar declared victory. 'Player 3 wins' flashed the screen in red capital letters.

 

"Alright, I'm done with video games," Roy snorted, "the controllers are too small and you keep peeking at my screen."

 

"Blah, blah, blah," Lemmy formed a hand puppet and opened and shut the fingers, "admit it, I'm better than you at something."

 

Roy crossed his arms and responded with cold silence.

 

Lemmy giggled. "Hey, someone else want to try?"

 

Larry watched from behind Ludwig. Rapt by the competition. He inched close to Roy's abandoned controller.

 

Iggy scratched his chin and inspected the plastic devices. "Maybe I could make bigger controllers for you?" Iggy mumbled.

 

Morton cleared his throat and crossed in front of the television. The koopalings groaned in unison.

 

"Outta the way Morty, you're going to ruin my streak." Lemmy shook the controller at Morton.

 

"Guys, guys, this is really important."

 

"Like the time you found pictures of naked girls in the library?" Larry cocked his head.

 

"No, not like that," Morton stamped his foot, "it's really serious. Like, life changing serious."

 

His audience reluctantly conceded him the stage. He paced the television screen. Millions of words danced the cranium. And what words, passionate words he made up for the ensuing backlash. Like 'anti-obstinationance."

 

"So I was in the library with Wendy, swapping out volumes of the Koopa Chronicles, good read by the by, really-"

 

"Cut to the chase, doofus," Roy grumbled.

 

"Yes, right," Morton coughed into his fist, "brothers and sister, I have come to regretfully inform you that we are adopted."

 

Ludwig's face flatlined. All at once the gears in his mind cranked. A fact that made too much sense. A truth that he feared come to life all at once in his mind. He slumped back and stared at the ground with moist eyes.

 

"This ain't funny Morton," Roy climbed to his feet and met Morton at his level.

 

"I'm not joking," Morton held his hands up, "this is one hundred percent true. Kamek was talking to his new trainee about Juniors birthday and mom's...mom's well," he drew a long breath, "and he said that we're not her kids. We're her sisters's."

 

Roy encroached Morton's bubble. His sunglasses skewed on his muzzle. He shoved Morton.

 

Lemmy jumped to his feet and shoved himself between the brothers. "Hold up, hold up," the smaller koopaling grunted and threw his entire weight in restraining Roy, what little good it did, "he said Wendy was with him. Right?"

 

Morton bobbed his head. His maw stretched open and closed. A chocked gasp spiraled from the throat.

 

Lemmy waved at Wendy in the doorway. "Sis, is this true?"

 

Wendy watched Roy. Her eyes watered. She stared at the ground.

 

"Spill it, Wendy." Roy shouted.

 

She shirked at his tone. "It's..." She glanced between Morton and Roy. Behind Roy's sunglasses, she saw his desperation. Clinging to the notion that she was joking. Morton mouthed help. Roy's nostrils flared, his brow flexed.

 

"It's a trick." Wendy rubbed her arm. "Gotcha."

 

"See, there we go, crisis averted." Lemmy yelped and Morton charged Wendy.

 

"What!?" He snapped at her. "You were there Wendy, you were," he jabbed her chest, "you said you'd back me up."

 

Her lips tightened and she could not meet Morton's eyes.

 

"Oh, the silent treatment, I get it," he raised his voice, "I'm not lying guys, honest, this back stabbing no good piece of-"

 

Roy smashed the back of Morton's head. "Don't you dare talk to her like that." He pointed at Wendy and shoved Morton to the ground.

 

"Roy stop it." Lemmy injected himself into the altercation once more. Roy grabbed Lemmy by his mohawk and forcibly moved him out of the way.

 

"Wendy," Morton hissed at her, "why are you letting this happen?"

 

"I said shut up, you dirty little liar." Roy put his foot to Morton's chest. Lemmy shoved Roy's foot aside.

 

Morton staggered to his feet and drew a deep breath. "I won't shut up. It sucks, I get it, but I won't be pushed around so I can make you feel better."

 

Roy punched Morton in the jaw. Morton wheeled back. He quivered and propped his weight on the wall. Roy reared his fist back.

 

Morton spun and smacked Roy with a counter cross. Roy clutched his face. Blood trickled down his nostrils. A spiderweb of cracks lined his sunglasses.

 

All eyes focused on Morton. He rubbed his cheek and sniffled. Angry tears streamed his eyes. "I am not a liar."

 

Lemmy glanced between his brothers. He raised his hands and approached slowly. The violence needed to be quelled. "Okay, okay, we believe you, bro, calm down."

 

Roy glared at Lemmy. The swollen purple around his eyesocket visible in the broken sunglasses. Lemmy shook his head and held a claw to his lips.

 

"Let's take a step back and unpack this."

 

"What's to unpack?" Ludwig mumbled. "We're not dad's kids."

 

"Not you too." Roy glowered at Ludwig.

 

"And that means...Junior, he's the only real son then." Ludwig's lip quivered

 

Ludwig chuckled. His eyes squinted and a pained smile broke his muzzle. "Here I thought it was all me. No, turns out I was never his son."

 

"Ludwig, are you listening to yourself? Of course, we're his 'real' sons." Lemmy sighed and rubbed his temples. "I mean he kept us around this long."

 

"He kept us around because of mom." Ludwig pushed himself to his feet. "Or, whoever she was, I guess." He shoved past Wendy in the door. "If you need me, don't bother."

 

"Now look what you did." Roy wiped his nose on his arm. The blood smeared his scales. He spat a glob of blood at Morton's feet.

 

Morton's lips did not budge. For once he was silent. He gave the spittle a wide berth.

 

"Uh, guys?" Larry piped in.

 

"We'll get back to the game in a sec Larry, we're busy," Lemmy mumbled. He smoothed back his mohawk.

 

And at that moment Iggy's panicked voice rang clear. "Go away!"

 

Lemmy whipped around so fast the blood rushed from his forehead.

 

Iggy swiped at Larry before retreating to a corner.

 

A vein in Roy's head pulsed. "Great, friggin great, the loon's having an episode."

 

"Stars, if you're out there," Lemmy whispered and faced Iggy. The sudden altercation must have set off his condition. Lemmy rubbed the back of his head and approached Iggy.

 

"Stay back, stay back," Iggy flailed at the air, back to the wall. Lemmy stepped closer. Iggy swiped and Lemmy leaned out of harms way.

 

"C'mon Iggy, it's only me," Lemmy's fingers twitched and he put one foot in front of the other. He kept eye contact with Iggy and mumbled reassurances. "Calm down."

 

"You, you're not, he's not," he wheezed and covered his face, "stay back."

 

"This is going nowhere fast." Roy huffed. Lemmy set his finger to his lips. His attention returned to his ailing brother.

 

The slender koopaling's rainbow hair matted his forehead. It stuck out in all directions. Locks of reds and greens curled. Faint teals jutted outward. The koopaling dragged his claws over his ears.

 

Morton watched from afar and rubbed his sore cheek.

 

"Iggy, where's your medicine?" Lemmy mumbled. The question more addressed to himself. He inched closer and closer. Hoarse breaths eked his lips.

 

Roy looked over his shoulder at Morton. The two shared burning glares and Roy averted his gaze. His lips curled back and rows of pointed teeth caught the light. The curve of his frown stretched his maw.

 

Iggy whimpered and put his back to Lemmy. He mumbled frantic syllables. Incoherent ideas spewed in clusters of phrases. Spurned of a mind torn in different directions. He addressed people who were not there and feared the one's who were.

 

"Iggy..."

 

"No!" He shrieked.

 

Roy huffed. "That's it," he shoved Lemmy aside, "knock it off twerp." He snapped at Iggy. "I know you're faking it for attention, so give it up."

 

"Roy!" Lemmy shoved his brother. "Don't take it out on him. He didn't do anything."

 

Roy ignored Lemmy and grabbed Iggy's shoulders. He shook the koopaling, who screamed in response. Lemmy kicked Roy's stomach, and pushed him back.

 

"You're not helping." Lemmy raised his voice. His eyes snapped to focus.

 

Iggy raised his ivory colored claws. The tips glinted. Words failed to convey his distress. His screams were primal, an animal ensnared and locked into brutal combat for survival.

 

The claw struck Lemmy's back. Pointed tips gashed his t-shirt. Sticky warmth trailed his upper back. The smaller koopaling winced. He stumbled and inadvertently presented his chest to Iggy. The younger brother slashed Lemmy's chest.

 

The shirt tore clean off and deep bloody gouges carved his skin. Lemmy grabbed Iggy's arms and restrained him. The wild strength of a creature possessed nearly overpowered the smaller koopaling. Even with Iggy's spindly limbs and thin musculature.

 

Lemmy wrestled Iggy to the ground. A pink canister tumbled from the Koopaling's person and tumbled out of reach. Lemmy plucked the cannister with his foot and unfastened the cap. He put his feet to Iggy's chest to help restrain him and he poured a few tablets in his palm.

 

"Stop it, stop it, let me go, now," Iggy clawed at Lemmy's leg.

 

"I hate doing this bro, I really do," his face waxed somber, an expression far too alien and strange for the second eldest. He forced the tablets into Iggy's maw. Lemmy clamped Iggy's jaw shut with his hands and covered his snout.

 

Iggy gulped. His claws struck Lemmy multiple times. HIs blood smeared both of them and they writhed on the floor. Iggy curled into a fetal position. Lemmy limped from harm's way.

 

Roy stared at Lemmy. His jaw sagged. "Lemmy, Stars, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

 

"If you do one thing right today, then please get Kamek," Lemmy winced and touched the deepest wound on his chest, his eyes puckered and a hot breath hissed in the gaps of his teeth.

 

Roy inched back. For once he looked like the little brother. He sprinted from the game room. A bleak heaviness soured their posture. Larry sat on the couch and stared at his feet.

 

Morton sniffled, his eyes burned. He hobbled away. Everything had gone wrong. If Roy hadn't been such a bully if Wendy had told the truth, a billion ifs. He covered his head and left the room.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Peach, Morton, and Wendy sat in a circle. Their faces turned to the floor. A shadow rested over them.

 

Peach spoke first, a heavy sigh on her lips. "I see."

 

“It's in the past, we all know the truth now,” Wendy rested her head on her fist, wet-eyed and sorrowful. She spoke into her palm. The words muffled by her hand.

 

“That's not the point, Wendy,” Morton glared at her.

 

“Stop it,” Peach pointed at Morton, “I understand why you're upset, but this isn't helping any of us.”

 

A deep rattling sound emanated within the metallic walls. It rumbled in Peach's feet and sent shivers up her shins. Creaking and moaning, the groan of metal on metal.

 

“What was that?”

 

“They're dropping the anchor.” Morton shuffled to the porthole and bent his knees to better see the outside world. His head blocked the sun and dimmed the room.

 

Peach snapped her fingers. “Perfect!”

 

Wendy and Morton were taken aback at her outburst. They edged around her. The smallish woman crossed her arms.

 

“That's our chance to get off this deathtrap.”

 

“But the guards...” Morton fiddled with his thumbs.

 

“If they're dropping anchor, then they're sending guards to the surface.”

 

Wendy stumbled to her feet. The numb pins and needles in her toes sent her in a wobbling motion. She caught herself on the wall.

 

“And when we reach the desert, where do we go?” Morton's words shushed her. The cold logic of the statement froze their initiative.

 

Peach paced the room. Her delicate fingers touched her pointed chin. The blues in her eyes flushed in concentration. “The mountains. Border patrols watch every avenue in and out of the country,

 

Morton looked at her. The larger koopaling wanted to trust her, wanted to believe. His eyes moist and an unsure frown on his lips. Peach tried to quell his doubts.

 

“What have we got to lose? I don't know what my doppelganger has in store for us, but I have a horrible hunch it's far worse than anything your father came up with.”

 

Morton stroked at his sparse hairs. He sighed at her. His heart with her, his mind stalwart in denial. “Okay, Peach, we'll give it a shot.”

 

Wendy's eyes flashed, “if we're doing this, I'm not leaving unless we save Iggy too. it's your fault he's in trouble.”

 

Peach stared at the crumpled eyeglasses on the floor. Left to rot as a constant reminder of the stakes. The queen nodded. “Now let's hurry. First things first, we need to get that door open.”

 

“I have an idea.” Wendy said.

 

Wendy, Peach, and Morton stacked up at the holding room door. Wendy stood at the front of the line. The blood left her knuckles and the skin beneath her scales whitened. She drummed a sharp two-step beat on the door.

 

“What do you want now?” Kootie Pie's shrill voice rattled the sliding door.

 

“Her majesty's looking really queasy, I think she might be coming down with air sickness because we dropped so fast.”

 

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

 

“It's going to be your problem when your boss finds out you let your VIP get hurt.”

 

“Ugh!” Kootie Pie cranked the lock free, the door slid on his track. “I'm getting really sick of your-”

 

Wendy wrenched the door open. Kootie Pie lost balance.

 

“Now, Morton.” Wendy shouted.

 

Morton grabbed Kootie Pie by the shoulders and pinned her to the wall. She dug her clawed toes into his gut. Morton's eyes squinched. He reared his fist to strike and Peach gasped.

 

"Wait, wait, don't hit her," Peach ran, but it was too late.

 

Morton socked the mock-koopaling's cheek and she fell to the ground. Dazed, her cheek swelled. Bright purples welled in her skin.

 

"Jeez, Morton, you didn't have to hit her that hard." Wendy winced.

 

"I can't hit you, now can I?" Morton stared down at his sister. He massaged his tender knuckle

 

Peach cleared her throat, "Morton, we've no clue where your brother is being held anymore and you just punched out the one person who might tell us."

 

"Sorry." Morton coughed into his fist.

 

She shook her head, her blond curls bounced. Peach brushed a lock bnehind her ear with a swipe of her middle finger. Her mouth set into a hard line. "It's...fine," Peach sighed, "we'll figure this out."

 

"They were holding him in the bridge last, the janitor's closet," Wendy said.

 

"If there's one place with guards stationed, it's there" Peach peeked left and right, the eery emptiness a stark reminder of her last evening on an airship. She set her back toward the ship's bowside tunnel. "maybe it's best we touch the ground and come back with help."

 

"You said you'd help," Wendy's lip pouted, she glared at Peach.

 

"We're not exactly equipped to take on a room full of guards."

 

"I didn't leave Roy behind, I'm not leaving Iggy behind," Wendy stepped away from Peach and swiveled on her heel. Her tail swished in an annoyed sweep. The pink bow on her forehead slithered from her crown.

 

She caught it out of reflex, clenched the bow in her fist and threw it on the ground. "Stupid little...ugh," she put her back to Peach.

 

"Come on Morton," both said in unison.

 

Morton stood still. He looked between the women. A nonplussed expression on his face. Eyes closed. He pinched his muzzle. "If Iggy was in trouble just for you thinking about escaping...what happens when we actually escape?"

 

Peach stared at Morton and Wendy. Her chin trembled. For once in her life, she would escape her kidnappers. The opportunity slipped each passing second. And yet guilt tickled her chest. Iggy Koopa was far from innocent, but she feared the sleepless nights. Letting him suffer, after she saw the trust in his eyes when she reassured him.

 

"Fine." Peach's pointed chin stiffened.

 

Three tired prisoners, marching one by one. Almost sounded like the nursery rhymes her nanny used to tell her. She listened for the sound of footfalls. The click of claws on the floor.

 

The shuffle of stubby legs. The deep pounding clog of Bully or Kooky. The lighter delicate steps of Hip or Lemmy. The hairs on her neck stood on end. She squeezed her tattered gown.

 

No sound, it was worse than a din.

 

"Okay Peach, you go first, you're the lightest and probably the quietest of us." Wendy motioned to the staircase leading to the bridge.

 

Peach sighed, the staircase dug at her bare toes. She leaned on the stair rail, the cold metal nipped the soles of her feet. Her breath came in soft spurts.

 

The furious clacking of claws on keyboards filled the air.

 

The air stank of bleach and ammonia and something else. Vents whirred to life.

 

"Ventilation back online," Kooky clapped his hands.

 

"Yes, yes, but the engines?" Amanita sighed.

 

"They'll take some time to warm up." Kooky's voice rang out in a jaunty sing-song tone, "but not to worry your highness. I saw this coming. Weapons are back online, we can finally repel that awful cannon barrage."

 

"Seems you might just make up for your screw up in the first place."

 

Kooky snorted and fought his cackle, instead, a few nervous laughs echoed on the high ceilings of the bridge.

 

Peach inched around the corner, she saw moles scramble to their terminals. Amanita clambered into the captain's chair once more. The janitor's closet swung ajar. Vacant, save for destroyed cleaning supplies.

 

She drew a sharp breath.

 

"Now the cameras, can't go on without the cameras, come on baby," Kooky jammed a few commands into the terminal, a soft beep replied. He slammed his fist on the desk, "work you insipid machine!"

 

"Sir, that cable's unplugged," A mole pointed at the back of the terminal.

 

"That's not the issue, nimrod."

 

Amanita cleared her throat.

 

"But, I suppose I'll humor you," Kooky rolled his eyes and plugged in the socket, he repeated his command in the keyboard, "there, back online, told you I could fix it." Kooky grinned, self-satisfied. He leaned back in his seat. "Wait a sec..." he stumbled in his seat, "I think I see something on the dunes."

 

The crew set to work pulling up cameras. "He's right, your majesty, check camera twelve."

 

Amanita chuckled. "Oh, it's our little gunslinger from the other day. Seems he survived the escape pod landing."

 

"No way he's by himself," Kooky's eyes danced on the screen, "ah, got a little knight in shining armor too. I get the impression they mean to board."

 

"You know what to do."

 

Peach inched back, help really was on the way. She eased, step by step. She misjudged the distance of one step and stumbled. The metal rattled. She drew a sharp breath out of shock.

 

Her legs turned to lead, she held her breath. "It was nothing, just say it was nothing."

 

Kooky twitched. "You hear that?" He cocked his head.

 

"It's the sound of my faith in you slowly crumbling," Amanita said.

 

Kooky cackled. "Stellar sense of humor as ever."

 

"If I wanted a brown noser I'd get one of your brothers."

 

Kooky clamped his mouth shut. "Yes, ma'am."

 

Peach eased down the stairs, her cheeks flustered red. Sweat beads clung to her forehead. Downy blond hair matted to her skull. "Iggy's not up there, and we're way out of...time..."

 

A whole squad of moels surrounded Wendy and Morton. Kootie Pie stood at the back, rubbing her swollen cheek. Her face set into a scowl that could burn sheet metal.

"Stars save me," Peach buried her face in her hands.

 

**X-X-X**

 

The chain spiraled from the sky and smashed the ground. Sand exploded in all directions. Larry's legs buckled. He ducked behind a dune and turned toward Junior.

 

The youngest brother's eyes darted left and right. He laid with his eyes focused outward. He held his breath.

 

Wailing winds rolled from the flatlands and spiraling cones of sand whirled past. Larry protected his face. The pointed specks of sand lodged themselves in every corner of his body.

 

He growled and batted his hair clean.

 

"Have they moved yet?" Junior whispered.

 

Vine crawled to the peak of the dune. His head inched tentatively over the cusp. Labored breaths echoed. He sounded distant, trapped in a metal cave.

 

Larry considered himself lucky. A least his armor let in air.

 

The toad slid down the dune and dragged himself dug his heels into the ground. The sand clumped around his boots. He squeezed this sword's pommel.

 

"What did you see?" Junior hissed, a nervous excitement trickled into all his features.

 

Vine held a finger to his visor. The blank expression of his helmet lowered. Junior covered his mouth.

 

Gargantuan chain links clattered. The metal ringing echoed for miles. Claws raked steel.

 

"Is it Bully?" Cheatsy grabbed Larry's arm and hid behind him.

 

The others shushed him.

 

"You're not scared are you?" Larry smirked.

 

"I am, you should be too," Cheatsy huffed, a familiar paleness rested on his cheeks. One Larry recognized from himself.

 

"Relax, we won't let anything happen to you," Larry patted his clone's shoulder.

 

"Sorry to say it bud, but considering your current track record, that doesn't make me feel better."

 

Junior growled from his seat on the dune.

 

Larry rolled over to face his brother. "You see something?"

 

Junior pointed at his ear and scooped the air.

 

Larry scooted closer to his brother and Junior leaned close enough to whisper. His breath felt cool in the desert heat. "Did you have to bring him?"

 

Larry's brows puckered, "I know he's hard to warm up to, but he's done nothing to hurt us. Heck, we wouldn't have even stopped in Pinebrook if he didn't bring it up."

 

Junior peeked around Larry's head and watched the clone.

 

Larry felt the malice when their eyes met. A silent argument unfolded in a manner of seconds. Larry grabbed Junior's face and forced his brother's attention away.

 

"Junior, you need to trust me, he means us no harm."

 

"He'd better not if he knows what's good for him."

 

"Say it to my face you little-" Cheatsy clawed at the sand pounced at Junior.

 

Larry forced the clone back and grabbed Junior by his collar. The three of them twisted in the sand. Larry gasped and a mouthful of sand entered his waiting maw. He gagged up the muck, his eyes watered.

 

"Guys, guys," Vine drew his rapier, the blade whispered against the scabbard, "listen."

 

The other three fell quiet. Larry's body quivered. Silence thick enough to taste.

 

"What's the big deal, I don't hear anything?" Cheatsy mumbled.

 

"Precisely." Vine thumbed the crest of the dune.

 

Junior crawled first, Larry gasped and followed. His claws eager to grab Junior and pull his brother from harm. The gesture was unnecessary, for at the rounded head of the dune Junior lay safe.

 

A puzzled aura in his cheeks. He squinted. The narrow blacks of his pupils trimmed the horizon.

 

Larry's curiosity piqued. He blocked the sun with his hand and climbed the dune. "No one," he whispered.

 

"They were just here, weren't they?" Junior said. "I just heard them."

 

"Wait, by the anchor," the sand swept Larry's face, he snarled a sneeze and wiped his face on his elbow.

 

"Molehills." Junior gasped.

 

A pink shape inched down the iron chain links, mumbling curses. Larry and Junior ducked. Their brows barely visible at the cusp of the dune. "That's Bully," Larry whispered, he tried to say it with a straight face, and despite the name a pinch of fear resonated in his tone.

 

"Bully?" Junior snorted, "it's a code name, right?"

 

"That's what he calls himself."

 

"Must've thought really hard about it," Junior followed the clone.

 

Bully's broad figure lurched. A canyon in the sand left in his wake. Twisted serpentine paths while he watched the sky. Thinking, waiting, a hunter on the prowl.

 

"I hope those bozos with the cannons know what they're doing." Cheatsy joined the koopalings.

 

"I"m sure they've got it under control." Vine said.

 

The toad knight stood. Sand spilled from the joints in his armor. He waggled his fingers flicking grains in all directions. "I always wanted to know what the beach was like without all the fun." He climbed to the opposite side and dropped on his back. His armor clanked.

 

Vine slid downhill. A crooked flume carved the face of the sandy hill. His blue armor cast a sharp glimmer. He stumbled to his feet once more, his figure wilted.

 

Junior and Larry faced each other.

 

"I guess now's better than never." Junior slid after Vine.

 

"I guess." Larry scrutinized the Maelstrom. It was far too empty, no moles on deck, no faces in portholes. No way they all jumped ship to fight the artillery line.

 

"Something's not right, right?" Cheatsy watched from the safe coverage of the dune His expression limpid.

 

"Er, right." Larry trained his sights on the molehills.

 

Junior tiptoed around them and grabbed the chain as it dangled from the air. A deep puckering metal noise echoed into the empty desert dunes. He hooked his foot in one link and began his ascent.

 

Vine paced the base of the chain, his sword drawn. His vigilant head scoured the landscape for imminent threats. He flourished his sword. The fine point of the rapier invisible in the heatwaves.

 

The points of his horns trembled. A molehill erupted at his feet and sucked him into the harsh sand. He grasped his sword with two hands and plunged it into the ground.

 

The toad struggled, his lower body packed into the ground.

 

Larry squinted. "Crap, he needs help."

 

The koopaling turned and Cheatsy was gone. A faint indent in the sand remained. His tracks a fair distance away.

 

A horrible feeling wrenched at Larry's insides. His heart struggled to keep up with his lungs. His temples seared. "No, no, no" he hissed and ran to Vine and Junior.

 

Junior dropped a fair height from the chain. The sand rippled around his landing zone. He plucked the toad like a turnip.

 

"Cheatsy's gone!" Larry panted, his jaw limped and spittle flecked the corners of his mouth.

 

"What do you mean he's gone?" Junior snapped.

 

The chain wriggled. Larry and Junior gasped.

 

"This is your, oh," Kooky took cautious step after step down the chain, "your boarding par- dammit," his foot hooked thin air and he dangled a moment, clutching the chain for dear life, his eyes wide, "oh forget it."

 

He lobbed a fireball at the trio. The recoil parted his grip from the chain and Kooky fell. Cackling the whole way down. His back smashed the ground. Legs kicked in the air. A sputtering choking noise rattled his throat.

 

"This is the guy that kicked your butt?" Junior said to Larry. His eyebrow quirked.

 

"Don't underestimate him." Larry's cheeks flushed rosy, he clicked his claws together and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The cloth wrap on his head stained dark.

 

"Oh, so he's like, pretending to be incompetent," Vine wheezed, sand spilled from his visor.

 

Kooky grunted and sat up, his tail swooshed left to right sharp jerking motions, "alright, let's," he hugged his ribs, "let's tango."

 

Larry and Junior grinned at each other.

 

"Ladies first." Larry patted Junior's arm.

 

Junior charged Kooky. His teeth bared. A fireball licked Junior's chest and staggered him.

 

"Whoa, whoa," Kooky watched the stunned koopan prince, "who the heck are you?"

 

Junior slapped the flames clear from his body. His knees locked. An unnerving silence took the battlefield. Kooky stared beyond the moist flesh of his eyes into Junior's soul.

 

"You." Something left Kooky's countenance in that moment. He looked less like Ludwig now and more like an animal that stole his face.

 

Larry circled around Kooky and yanked him by the tail. His legs flailed beneath his unstable upper body. His foundation ruined. Kooky scooped a mouthful of sand and gagged.

 

Junior drop kicked Kooky's stomach.

 

Hot air spewed from his maw and his mouth frothed.

 

Junior reared his foot back to strike again. Kooky dug his claws into Junior's calf and flipped him back. Moles emerged from the ground and piled atop Junior. One swiped at his eyes. Junior blocked the gouger, a deep crimson cut split his forearm.

 

Larry stomped Kooky's face into the sand and ran to help his brother.

 

A rock soared through the air and struck Larry's head. The inside of his mouth tingled. His ears rang.

 

A mole poked his head above the sand and threw another rock at Larry.

 

Larry ducked the projectile, only to realize Kooky was standing again.

 

The mock-koopaling grabbed Larry by the back of the neck and jammed his wand against his temple.

 

The skin on his head seared and Larry cried out. Colors melted together. The stink of charred keratin and hair tickled his nostrils.

 

Vine slipped off his helmet and hurled it. The horned effigy smacked Kooky square between the eyes. The mock-koopaling staunched his bleeding nostrils, a stream of tears flowed down his cheeks.

 

"I can breathe, oh Stars, I can breathe," Vine laughed and jogged toward Kooky, his sword dangled limply at his side.

 

Kooky swung his wand, a flaming whip lashed from the jeweled tip.

 

Vine sidestepped, hot granules of sand kicked up beside him. He whispered a string of curses and resumed his approach. Cautious now, his sword raised. "Go help your brother," Vine shouted at Larry.

 

Larry touched the burn on his forehead and winced. He limped toward the shapes and colors as his eyes desperately fought for clarity. He thought of Ludwig and Cheatsy, and of melting eyes.

 

Hot bile tickled his throat. He tried to imagine a life without vision. Without color.

 

"Kid, snap out of it, I can't do this for long." Vine's voice cracked he screamed so loud. He ducked under Kooky's swipe and stabbed the larger target in the gut twice.

 

Larry squinted, acuity returned in bursts. He fought the urge to drop to his knees and cry. He saw Junior and the moles slicing him. They were toying with him now, a big limp chew toy.

 

Larry wrenched the nearest Mole from Junior. The creature writhed in his hands. Its colors flickered, a strange warbling sound parted its mouth. It slashed Larry's face.

 

Three thick lines flashed over Larry's face. From cheek to chin. The purpling flesh around his eye forced it to shut. The piercing flash of pain forced Larry's body rigid. A blinding anger took over and he twisted the mole.

 

It's upper body and lower body twisted opposite directions.

 

Larry gagged, the mole fell limp for a mere moment before the color drained from it's fur. Its skin felt grainy in texture and its body crumbled into pale dust.

 

Junior rolled on the ground. Throwing the remaining moles from his body. He stomped one into the dirt and it became one with the sand. He was so covered in his own blood he looked painted.

 

Vine danced with Kooky, in an odd sense. His footwork was something graceful. A waltz almost. Step, duck, stab, step, duck, stab.

 

Unfortunately, the toad was far smaller than Kooky. His strikes served to enrage, rather than impede.

 

It only took one haymaker from Kooky to send Vine half across the sand. He skipped on the dunes like a rock on the lake. Vine curled into a ball and groaned. His sword twisted from his hands.

 

Kooky wiped the blood from his lip. His wild hair spiked in all directions. Flames trickled from the tip of his wand. The embers scattered the sand and disappeared in puffs of smoke. He set his sights now on Junior.

 

Junior limped back, his hand pressed over the deepest of his cuts. He tripped and flopped on his back.

 

"No, no," Larry looked at Kooky and then at Junior. His claws twitched, he had only one option, and it wasn't much of a good one.

 

The hair on Larry's arms stood on its ends. Static charges arced between his fingertips. "I have the reigns," he whispered to himself, "it's an animal, and I have the reigns." He eased his breathing. The harder he focused on calming himself, the more panicked he felt.

 

Larry aimed his trembling claws at Kooky. The air stank of ozone. Larry's lips dried out and his vision blurred.

 

The wild energy coursed through Larry. He felt a warmth in his chest. Bizarrely puppylike in its demeanor. Happy to be noticed. Happy to work.

 

Blue bolts of lightning leaped from the tips of his claws and struck Kooky.

 

The mock-koopalings eyes flashed white a second and he dropped to his knees. Smoke spewed from his nostrils.

 

Larry smiled. It worked. Larry concentrated on his claws. The blue sparks danced around his fingertips. The raging fire in his being drowned all sounds. His breathing muffled in his ears.

 

The warmth in his chest exploded. He gasped. His elbows locked. A bundle of electric energy surged from him. He redirected it from the battleground.

 

The energy gouged a blemish in the face of the dune. Sand slithered into place from all directions. Pulling from the peak of the dune.

 

"It's an animal and I have the reigns," Larry whimpered. He felt hot irons burn in the depths of his eyesockets. The excited molecules in his body dizzied him.

 

He fought his rigid joints. Desperate to reclaim control. His neck jerked. He managed to catch the subtle movement of Kooky's wand before fire enveloped him.

 

 

**X-X-X**

 

A succession of bright flashes lit the horizon. The hairs on Ludwig's arms stood on end. He gasped. The cloned Maelstrom hovered in the air, its great chained anchor rocked.

 

A cannon ball whizzed past his head and blasted a cannon fixture. Two Toads disappeared in the blast.

 

"They should've boarded the ship by now, what's going on?" Mario shouted, he ducked a clawed strike and kicked a mole back with a well placed kick to the gut.

 

"I don't know, I," Ludwig looked around the battlefield, the destroyed remains of cannons and the stink of gun powder tickled his nose. Motionless guards scattered around him, the air thick with white dust. He squinted in the distance.

 

Koopa troop shells surfed the dunes and hopped the mounds. They were gunning straight for Roy and Minerva.

 

"Reinforcements," Ludwig shouted, his voice croaky from strain.

 

Minerva peeked up just in time to duck a shell. Roy wasn't fast enough. He covered his glasses and took a sharp blow to the knee. His legs buckled and another winded him with a blow to the chest.

 

Mole reinforcements emerged from the sand and pinned Roy.

 

Bully attacked Minerva amid the distraction. His fist collided with her cheek and a thick purple welt formed on the side of her face. Her face planted into the sand.

 

Ludwig plowed through the sand to meet them, his claws raised.

 

A hammer twirled through the air and struck Bully on the back of the head.

 

Ludwig glanced over his shoulder.

 

Luigi and Daisy stood side by side.

 

"That was my good hammer!" Luigi shouted at her.

 

"The captain needed a hand, tough guy. Not like you were doing much all the way over here," she punched his shoulder and bounded headfirst into danger.

 

Luigi pinched his brow. A frustrated sigh on his lips.

 

The horizon rang with a deep throom. The sand whispered and dunes descended. Cannon balls arced the air and bombarded the artillery line once more. Ludwig dove for cover. His clumsy gait tripped his feet and he dropped halfway from a group of soldiers. They hid on the opposite plane of a dune.

 

Ludwig clawed his way to cover and put his back to the sand.

 

"They're chewing us to pieces," a bob-omb whined, its fuse sparked.

 

"Maybe we should've sent more than your kid brother and his friends," a guard pointed at Ludwig.

 

Ludwig's ears rang. He rubbed his temples. "You're right, someone needs to go and help them."

 

The two stared at Ludwig.

 

"I think we're needed more here, thank you," the toad guard shook his head.

 

"Cowards." Ludwig grumbled and picked himself up. He slid down the dune. His spiked shell carving deep gouges in the face. He jogged through the sand. The bulk of his armor shifted.

 

Flop sweat trailed his face. He wiped his forehead with his arm, only to realize he was smearing it around rather than ridding himself of it. He stopped and bent over his knees. Shallow breaths on his lips. "Shouldn't have skipped...cardio..."

 

The clangor of the battlefield fell silent as he neared the ship. His jog slowed to ta trot, and that trot eventually slowed to a prodigious walk. He swept his hair from his eyes, the overbearing sun beat his back.

 

A squat shelled figure hustled nearby, Ludwig squinted between the heat waves. A mirage? Real? Friend or foe? "Hey!"

 

The figure paused and looked at him.

 

"Cheatsy?" Ludwig said. He forgot his woes and sprinted to the mock-koopaling. "Where are the others?"

 

"In trouble." Cheatsy gasped, "I was coming to get help."

 

"Here it comes, then."

 

"Wait, it's just you?"

 

"Pretty much." Ludwig grabbed Cheatsy's arm and dragged him back towards the Maelstrom.

 

They climbed a peak and saw the ensuing battle. Vine was yards away, his body limp in the sand. Helmet discarded. Sword jutted from the ground like a tombstone. He struggled to stand and dropped in the same motion.

 

Junior backed away from Ludwig's clone. His leg caught a shallow shift of the sands and he fell. A raging stream of flames trickled from the tip of Kooky's wand. Uncontrolled, unceasing.

 

Ludwig hesitated a moment. His fingers flexed open, his Ember raged.

 

A lightning bolt struck Kooky from behind. His spine went rigid and his hair stood on end. Smoke spewed from his nostrils and he dropped to his knees.

 

Ludwig followed the energy attack to its source and saw his younger brother try to reign in the monster he conjured.

 

Ludwig knew all too well what was going to happen next.

 

Larry struggled. Uncontrolled bursts of electricity leaped from his fingertips and licked the ground. His hair rigid with static.

 

Kooky managed a shot at Larry and the stunned Koopaling was swept off his feet. Enveloped by flames. Bolts of blue energy radiated Larry as he struck the ground.

 

The mock-koopaling struggled to his feet, his chest heaved.

 

"Get my brother out of here," Ludwig growled at Cheatsy.

 

"But if Kooky sees me..."

 

Ludwig grabbed Cheatsy by the throat and pulled him close. "The only reason I ever kept you around is wasting away in the sand. If he goes, so do you. Got it?"

 

Cheatsy nodded.

 

"On with it then, I'll keep the freak's attention," Ludwig dropped Cheatsy and charged Kooky.

 

His concentration solely on the mock-koopaling. The world in his peripherals disappeared. Flames danced at his fingertips. Kooky turned toward the sudden noise and caught Ludwig.

 

They grappled, arms twisted in knots. The slight differences in their features manifest.

 

Kooky's frame was a pinch ganglier and limbs thinner. The better to slip from his clone's clumsy digits. He twisted from Ludwig's grip, hand firm on his wand, the other reared with claws spread.

 

He swiped Ludwig's face, hard claws raked scales, and sliced his right eye.

 

Ludwig roared. His face burned, tears flooded his cheek. All was pain. He covered his wound and stumbled back. Heat bubbled his insides.

 

His mind retreated. Deep into the recesses of his thoughts and shallow memories. The time spent agonizing over his latest earworm, devouring sheets of music stolen from far and vast worlds. The hills outside his home and the time spent exploring caves with his brothers.

 

The pain disappeared, but then so did everything else. The feeling in his legs went next. Replaced with numbing heat.

 

He heard a sound calling to him, a soft voice. It said his name, or maybe it didn't. A whisper that echoed. Far beyond the distance, and yet in his mind all at once.

 

He remembered his mother. Watching him as he slept. He remembered as oft tune she hummed for his sleepless nights that shooed the innocent nightmares of his childhood imagination. He tried to hum it, but his throat refused.

 

He heard the sound again. Frantic now.

 

"Stop!" It said.

 

Ludwig recognized the voice. The whining creak of a child forcing its way into adulthood. The cracks, the wheeze.

 

"Ludwig, stop."

 

"Stop what?" Ludwig's mouth moved in slow motion. A slick sensation tingled his cheek.

 

The burning in his chest no longer numbed. It seared. His throat ached. Ludwig blinked, his left eye socket pounded.

 

Junior stood with arms raised. Palms outward. He paced Ludwig slowly.

 

The Maelstrom's engines roared, chains churned, the anchor rose.

 

Kooky hobbled in the sand. Hopping on his left leg. He screamed when Ludwig looked at him. His right leg from the knee down was a charred stump. Cracked and black, with molten red in the cracks. He grabbed the anchor and let it carry him to safety.

 

Ludwig's vision blurred. He felt his legs give beneath him, and his body collapse. The hot sand smothered his face.

 

Junior shouted something.

 

The sand welcomed him. Soft and warm like a bed. He embraced the sleep.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Minerva's ears rang. The sand on her face felt warm. Her breaths shallow and aching. She touched the swollen pain on her cheek, her hand repulsed at the pain. A strained croak rose from her throat.

 

A trembling hand grabbed her armor. She squirmed, her legs flailed. The plated metal in her boots struck soft flesh and her assailant gasped. Minerva flopped in the sand, writhing. She rolled on her back with fists raised.

 

"Watch it," Luigi rubbed his stomach, Daisy stood beside him, her yellow shirt glowed in the sun.

 

Cannon balls exploded. Minerva felt the sand rumble beneath her. She rubbed her forehead. "Apologies, master Luigi."

 

"He forgives you." Daisy held her hand to Minerva. She pulled the woman to her feet with surprising speed and strength.

 

The sand slithered into her boots, it chafed the darkest corners of her anatomy. Minerva grimaced. The sound of claws striking armor rang the air. She spun on her heels. taking in the new face of the battlefield.

 

Shadowed pock marks dotted the landscape. Wounded guards lay where they fell, some crawled for safety.

 

Mario tried his best to defend the artillery cannons. Dragging the final working model as beleaguered troops tried to keep up with him.

 

The distant Maelstrom raised the anchor. Its metal hooked apparatus swayed with the wind. A faint shape clung to the bottom most chainlink.

 

"They're on the move," Minerva limped through the sand.

 

"What do you intend to do about it in your condition, huh?" Daisy snagged Minerva's arm.

 

"It needs to pick up troops, once it gets close enough we can ruin their day with well-placed artillery fire." Minerva pointed at Mario and the final cannon. "And in order to do that, we need to free up that cannon."

 

"Sorry to say it, but," Luigi ducked at the sound of cannon fire, "our cannoneers are out of comission."

 

"The big stupid one, he can shoot." Minerva wiped the blood from her lip, "where is he?"

 

Luigi pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

 

Bully and Roy grappled each other. Heavy claw marks scarred both their shells. Crimson streams trickled down Roy's upper lip.

 

"You two help the king with the cannon, I'll go save our gunner."

 

"By yourself?"

 

"Wouldn't want you to get in the way." Minerva sighed.

 

She patted a second blade sheathed on her hip. It quivered at her touch. The hilt pulsated.

 

"You heard the lady," Daisy grabbed Luigi by the arm and dragged him to the next fight.

 

Minerva steadied her breathing. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of Kingsbane and drew it. Its heat penetrated her gauntlets. Her thoughts turned from worry to anger. A flash exploded behind her eyelids.

 

For a split second it was snowing and the searing heat replaced with the dead of winter.

 

The sudden shift shocked her. She bit her bottom lip and cleared her head. The sword ached in her hands. The desert returned.

 

Bully pounded Roy's shoulder wound over and over. Roy cried out, muzzle wrinkled. The day of healing salve ruined in one terrible display. Bully twisted Roy's bad arm.

 

Minerva wrapped both fingers around the hilt and raised the sword above her head as she closed the gap between her and Bully. Her fingers twitched. The blade stank of decay.

 

A mole burst from the sand and pounced at her.

 

She swung the sword out of reflex. The blade sundered flesh. The mole exploded into dust and the wind carried its remains away.

 

A ringing hum filled Minerva's ears. The sword approved. She shook her head and approached Bully from behind.

 

Closer, hold your breath, end him now.

 

Roy caught the sudden movement in his peripherals. He turned from Bully and saw Minerva. His mouth stretched open and he gasped for breath.

 

Bully snapped to attention. He dropped Roy and wheeled around to find Minerva.

 

She swung for his neck and he twisted out of her range. The sword nipped the tip of a shell spike. It spun in the air and landed pointed side down. Smoke wafted from the base.

 

Minerva leaned into the swipe and lost balance. Her shins ached.

 

Bully grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in her eyes

 

Minerva's reflexes kicked in. She shielded her face. Bully jammed his claws into her stomach. Her armor melted and the points pierced her gut.

 

Kingsbane slipped her fingers. It landed on the flat of its blade. The metal glimmering in the sun. It quivered in the sand.

 

Minerva's insides burned. Her vision went white and she fell on her back. Hot liquid spilled from her lips.

 

She saw Bully pick the sword up and inspect it. It looked no larger than a dagger in his hands, but something allured him. He pointed the tip at Minerva's body. A grin spread his cheeks.

 

"Neat sword, where'd you get it?"

 

Minerva managed a pained cough in response.

 

Roy cast a long shadow over his shoulders.

 

Bully shook his head. He spun around with the sword stretched in front of him. Roy ducked the attack and countered him with an uppercut. Bully clamped on his tongue. Shrill roars followed.

 

He swung overhead. Roy caught Bully's forearm mid swing and dug his claws into flesh.

 

Roy yanked Bully towards him. He smashed Bully's face with the crown of his forehead. The clone's sunglasses shattered on impact.

 

Bully staggered back, swinging the sword blindly. Roy inched forward, claws raised.

 

"Don't let it touch you," Minerva choked.

 

Roy watched his blinded clone. The sword looked like any old one. Save for the fancy pommel. He put his fingers to his lips and tiptoed toward Minerva.

 

"Why not?" He whispered.

 

"Tr-trust me." She wheezed.

 

Bully snapped to attention and fumbled toward the noise. The dune gave beneath his feet. He slammed to the ground.

 

"I think he's dealt with anyway." Roy inspected Minerva's wound. The flesh on her stomach charred black. Blood bubbled from sucking gashes.

 

"I've had worse." Minerva covered her stomach.

 

"I'll call it payback for ruining my favorite pair of sunshades," Roy mumbled, he tucked his arm beneath the small of her back.

 

"Don't move me, idiot."

 

"Forgot your kind is fragile. It's a wonder any of you lasted this long," Roy snorted. He laid her down once more. “I'll grab help.”

 

"Help Mario with the cannon, I want you to shoot that ship down like we should've in the first place."

 

"Don't think he'll approve."

 

"He'll learn to forgive you."

 

Roy wiped the sweat from his forehead and saw the Maelstrom coast the horizon. The last bastion of guards gathered around the final cannon. Cloned Moles and Koopas attacked with relentless fervor. Hurling themselves into danger with little regard fort heir lives.

 

He stomped toward the group, claws flexed. A few stopped fighting and watched Roy. A koopa tucked into its shell, a mole scooped it with his claws and hurled it at Roy.

 

Roy caught the shell. His fingers ached at the sudden motion. He whipped in a circle and hurled the shell into the crowd. The moles scattered in several directions and the shell punched a hole in one. The sand stole its remains.

 

Roy huffed, his legs ached. He felt his undershirt soak the blood from his reopened wounds. His left arm dangled limp at his side.

 

Mario kicked back a mole and ran to Roy. "Where's the captain?"

 

"Over there, she's in bad shape," Roy rested his weight on the cannon, "big guy caught her off guard."

 

Mario saw the silver outline of her armor. Her body limp. Her sucking wound visible even at a distance. Mario winced. He reached into his coverall pocket. His fingers rifled a moment. "Please be there..." he removed a minuscule green vial.

 

A caricature of a mushroom on the front, its spots greener than the grasslands.

 

"Go help her." Mario held the vial toward Roy. "I need a moment to prepare."

 

"For what?" Roy took the vial from his hand.

 

Mario climbed the breech of the cannon and crawled inside.

 

"Stars, you're kidding me." Roy said.

 

"I've done this a million times before."

 

Roy wiped his nose on his forearm. An uncertain frown on his lips. He knocked on the brass casing. "Uh, you're insane."

 

"You don't save Kingdoms with that attitude." Mario's voice echoed from within the cannon.

 

Roy looked at Luigi and Daisy for a voice of reason. "He's joking, right?"

 

"Better him than me." Luigi shrugged.

 

Roy shook his head. "Maybe you should keep the medicine." He called into the cannon's gaping mouth.

 

"I'll be fine," Mario grunted, "mama mia, Peach's right. I need to lay off the pasta."

 

"Mario-"

 

"I know you've got every reason to hate her, but try to understand. She's only protecting her own as you would yours.”

 

Roy pinched the vial in his claws. No larger than a pill. In his hands, at least. He sighed at Mario. "Good luck."

 

The pinkfaced koopaling tripped through the sand. His mouth dry. The gash in his arm ached as the adrenaline left his system. He stared at the medicine. The greedy part of him wanted to taste a sip, fix his arm right up. Even if he had to sleep off the side effects.

 

Minerva growled at him as he approached. "I thought I said-"

 

"Change of plans, your glorious leader plans to sacrifice himself to the cannon gods," Roy squatted beside her, medicine in hand.

 

"I-I hear you, get over here and fight!" Bully seethed as he fumbled in the sand.

 

"Shut up and stay down if you know what's good for you. As for you, captain," Roy put the medicine in Minerva's hand.

 

She put it to her pale lips. The color on her cheeks faded. She coughed and blood mixed with the Greencap extract in the bottle. She choked it down. Her body went rigid. Her fists clenched.

 

She pounded the dirt and gasped. The wound in her stomach bubbled. Charred skin flaked away, fresh pink skin its place. Her gash pulsed like a flexible valve, puckering tighter. The edges of flesh fastening inch by inch.

 

Her eyes rolled back into her head and her body slumped in the sand. Her nostrils twitched.

 

Roy waved his hand in front of her. No response. "Oh well, can't save 'em all I guess." Roy left her in the sand.

 

Minerva gagged, her teeth clenched, "you're not finished with me yet, beast."

 

"Damn, you got my hopes up too." Roy clapped his hands of sand. A soft chuckle on his lips.

 

"I can hear you, I'm coming for you, I'm, I'm," Bully clawed to his feet and staggered toward the noise.

 

Roy grabbed a broken chunk of armor and hurled it at Bully. It struck him square between the eyes and sent him back on the ground.

 

"I said stay down, moron," Roy sighed, he rubbed his arm.

 

A shadow descended upon them. The air grew thick. The gyrating beat of propellers filled the air. Roy watched the sky.

 

"Here they come."

 

The anchor rattled from its hole. Its iron frame snagged the tip of a dune and the ship stopped to stabilize. Kooky dangled from the lowest chainlink, his leg raw and twisted, he clung to the metal for dear life.

 

"C'mon Bully, get a move on!"

 

"I can't see you." Bully screamed over the noise.

 

"Use your ears, stupid."

 

Bully rolled in the sand toward Kooky's voice. The anchor chains clicked, the metallic sound vibrated and rang in the air.

 

"Did I say you could leave?" Roy stomped up to Bully.

 

The blinded one swung blindly at the noise with the sword. A bleak chill radiated from the blade. He inched back, hands raised. Bully scrambled in the sand toward Kooky. He squinted to better see his brother. He fought the burn and hobbled to safety.

 

Kooky took his hand and helped him onto the anchor. "We're good!"

 

The anchor rattled. It swung in the air, retreating into an open compartment at the seat of the ship. The two of them hugged the chain, kicking each other for room.

 

One final cannon rang out.

 

Mario soared toward the deck. His hands stretched forward. His hat flipped from his head. He snatched it from the air and threw off his trajectory. Mario slammed into the broad side of the ship.

 

Roy winced. "Almost."

 

He watched Mario slide. He caught the lip of a porthole window and dangled. His legs whipped in the wind.

 

On the of the face of the Maelstrom, Mario wheezed. The air nipped his nose. His ribs ached. "Getting too old," Mario grimaced. The muscles in his shoulders ached as he climbed up the porthole, the deck mere inches away. His fingertips brushed the edge and he slipped.

 

His feet scrambled to find a hold of the ship again. A hand reached over the edge and snatched his. Mario snagged in the air. His shoulder screamed.

 

"Oof, I thought I told you to lay off the pasta," Peach grunted, her delicate hands squeezed his.

 

Mario's face lit up. "Peach!"

 

He snagged the ledge and hoisted himself onto the deck. He stared at the sky. His heart fluttered. "Come on, we need to get to the anchor before it's completely retracted." He jumped to his feet.

 

Peach hugged her arm and tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear.

 

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're getting nervous all of a sudden."

 

"Mario, I can't go back yet."

 

"Can't go back? The Kingdom's in a panic, the council is going to snatch my crown and the baby-"

 

"I know, I know," Peach sighed and looked out on the deck, "but Mario, this is important."

 

"What's more important than our family?" Mario furiously gestured.

 

"The kingdom's safety. These people, they're just as sick of Bowser as you and me," Peach pointed at the twitching moles on deck. "Don't you get it? We're going back home to deal with the monster once and for all."

 

"Deal with him? That doesn't sound like you at all..." Mario stared at his shoes and sighed, his eyes narrowed, "because it isn't you, is it?"

 

"It is me. In a sense." Her eyes twitched, the colors in the irises flickered.

 

Mario raised his fists. "Where's my wife?"

 

"Safe, despite her best efforts to get herself killed." Amanita examined her nails and smirked. It was warm but too warm. Like she couldn't control it.

 

"Take me to her."

 

"I can't do that, Mario, I need her." Amanita shook her head.

 

"Why?"

 

"And ruin the surprise?" Amanita pinched his cheek.

 

Mario smacked her hand.

 

She gasped, genuine hurt in her eyes. She rubbed the tender back of her hands. "We can't live like this anymore, Mario."

 

"What do you mean we? You were born literally yesterday." Mario paced her, eyeballing the gathering crowds.

 

"I remember things. See things when I close my eyes. See you, and the baby, and the cold dungeon walls, the fire, and broken promises."

 

Mario flexed his fingers. She was wasting time and he knew it. He imagined his wife locked away. Trapped on the forsaken vessel.

 

"We can't live like this anymore, Mario. We're getting older, we have a child to care for, not to mention an entire kingdom. Something must be done about the Koopa family."

 

"Killing Bowser won't fix anything. It'll only make his kids angry, you understand that? Trust me, where I come from, a boy goes a long way for his father."

 

"That's why they all must go." Amanita shook her head.

 

"You want to...to kill..." Mario's legs trembled, "no, not kids. We're not killing his kids."

 

"The hero with a heart of gold, you've always been such a cliche, my lovable cliche. Tell me, Mario, what would you do if these 'kids' left your own son without a mother or a father? What then?"

 

"It's not how we do things, we're better than Agaricus."

 

Amanita's lips spread into an icy smile.

 

Mario's throat itched. He saw the devil's face disguised as his wife. A horrible burning sunk into his chest. His lungs ached.

 

"We will be so much better with the Koopas out of the picture." She leaned over Mario and pecked his forehead. Her hand moved over his chest. Idle fingers fumbled with the overall strap.

 

Mario kicked her back.

 

"If that's how you feel," Amanita tucked her forefingers into her lips and whistled. Mario covered his ears. Moles swarmed him on all sides.

 

He punched one back, but another smacked him on the back of the head with a wrench. Mario's hat caught the wind. It skittered overboard, pirouetting in the sky.

 

They grabbed his arms and dragged him to the edge of the deck. He winced. His temples rang. The king squinted at Amanita. She kissed her right palm and blew it at Mario.

 

Mario's body contorted as freefall took him. He reached toward the ship, watching its dark outline between his fingers. His stomach lurched.

 

He wheeled around to see the ground coming closer. The air dried his mouth. He clutched at his overall strap in fear. A sharp edge nicked his finger. He looked at his chest, a metal badge in the shape of a feather pinned to his shirt.

 

"Did she..." Mario mumbled, shaking his head. No time to think. He closed his eyes and envisioned the badge's effect. It was easiest to envision a cape, catching the wind and inflating like a parachute. The badge glowed red on his chest, the heat singed his skin. Air kicked up at his feet and his ascent slowed.

 

Mario gasped for breath. His heart pounded. The sandy dune's rapid closure slowed. He eased to the ground, light as a feather.

 

The king snagged the ground and face planted. “A little rusty,” Mario moaned. He rolled on his back. The badge on his chest cracked. He brushed his thumb over it.

 

"Really ought to figure a way to make these things sturdier," Mario sighed, the badge shattered at his touch. He lay in the sand. The winds washed over him.

 

The sound of footfalls alerted him.

 

"Bro!" Luigi ran to his brother. "Thank the Stars you're alive, I swore I could feel Mama's ghost getting the belt ready for letting her baby boy bite it."

 

"It's going to take more than a several hundred foot fall to take out Super Mario." Mario brushed the sand off his lap. Luigi propped him on his feet.

 

"What happened?"

 

"We need to have a chat with the koopalings...this is much worse than I thought."

 

"Uh, about that."

 

The color drained from Mario's cheeks. "No, no, she killed one? Don't tell me she killed one..."

 

"What? No," Luigi rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean not yet."

 

"Luigi stop stringing me along here."

 

"Two of them are in pretty bad shape, field doctors aren't really sure what to do."

 

Mario's eyes darted around. His mind raced. "Did you ask Roy for help?"

 

"No, of course not. He was busy-"

 

Mario bolted from Luigi, the sand kicked in the air.

 

Luigi watched his brother disappear. A light sigh on his lips. "Why doesn't he ever let me finish?”

 

**X-X-X**

 

Ludwig's dry throat burned. A dull pain ached in his right eye. He reached to rub it and his claws met a tuft of fabric.

 

The bed creaked as he sat up. His feet dangled off the foot of the bed, or two beds rather. He soon realized they were two small ones pushed together. A loose sheet covered his lower body. He rubbed his throbbing temples. Praying for relief.

 

Soft snores caught his attention. Larry slumped in a wide seat. His neck craned back, muzzle pointed to the ceiling. Drool dribbled his chin.

 

“Larry?” Ludwig wheezed.

 

Larry's eyes fluttered open. He brushed the drool from his chin and massaged the crick in his neck. He groaned stiffly, until he noticed Ludwig on the bed. A light entered Larry's features. "You're alive!".

 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ludwig wheezed. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned over his knees. He stifled a cough into the crease of his elbow. Hot bile crept in the back of his throat.

 

The room stank of mushroom extracts. The dried flower potpourri served only to mask the scent. Ludwig's maw stretched open. A bellowing yawn rolled his tongue.

 

"Last night you, well, you...” Larry's jaw clenched. His pupils wobbled, “you weren't doing so good.”

 

"I've plenty evidence to the contrary," Ludwig chuckled, his right eye throbbed, he reached up and touched it. "Stars, I hope it's not infected."

 

"Infection? Ludwig, you cooked yourself from the inside out, they had to bust out that green medicine to fix you.”

 

Ludwig's shoulders sagged. "Explains why I feel like crap. Stuff tastes like a kick to the groin." Ludwig scratched at his stomach. His soft underbelly tingled. "Clothes, need my clothes."

 

Larry hobbled across the room in a loose-fitting white tunic. He sat on the bed adjacent Ludwig's. "You said you wouldn't hurt yourself. You told Roy you wouldn't."

 

Ludwig fell silent. His bangs tumbled into his eyes. He sighed.

 

"You promised Luddy."

 

"I know what I said," Ludwig massaged the knots from his sore shoulder, "Larry, I'm going to do something terrible. The worst thing I could imagine subjecting you to. I'm..." Ludwig sighed, "going to be honest with you. Do you think you can handle that?"

 

Larry stared at Ludwig. Waiting for Ludwig to speak again.

 

"I don't really care what happens to me anymore, Larry." Ludwig said. His back stiffened. "I haven't for a long time."

 

"You mean you..." Larry clutched a pillow to his chest. His claws tore the fabric.

 

"Yes and no." Ludwig dragged a claw through the scruff on his cheek. "I've never been brave enough to do it on my own."

 

Larry threw the pillow at Ludwig's head and jumped to his feet. Ludwig swatted the pillow aside.

 

"So you want to make it look like an accident? Like you died doing something noble?" Larry snapped. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard from you."

 

Ludwig's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth.

 

"No you don't," Larry stomped up to Ludwig, "not after what you just said, you don't get to be mad."

 

"You're trying my patience, Larry."

 

"Patience? Luddy, do you know how long we've all been waiting for you to get better?"

 

Ludwig bit his bottom lip.

 

"A week. We've been stuck in Stonekeeper for a week, biding time until you got better. We could've left you. Mario almost did. But I wasn't going anywhere, and Roy wasn't either, and you know else? Junior too. In fact, if it wasn't for him you'd probably wake up alone right now."

 

Ludwig's chest spasmed, his fingers dug into his bead spread. A cool draft washed over his skin. "You guys gave up a week over me..."

 

"No we lost a week because of you," Larry dragged his claw through his hair, "because you wanted to 'die with dignity' and we wasted our time fixing you."

 

Ludwig opened his mouth to speak but was too shocked for words to form. His tongue licked the roof of his mouth. A breathy sigh eased his lips.

 

"If we all had known that's what you wanted, then we should've known not to bother," Larry kicked the bed and yowled, his toe bruised.

 

"Larry, calm yourself."

 

"I will not!" Larry raised his voice louder. "Why, huh? Why don't you care?"

 

"Because I..." Ludwig gulped, "well, I guess I didn't think anyone else would miss me."

 

"I'd miss you." Larry pointed at his chest, "everyone who stayed would. I bet dad would too."

 

"Bowser hasn't cared for years."

 

"Maybe if you weren't such an asshole all the time, he'd be softer on you," Larry threw another pillow at Ludwig. Larry choked on his words. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'm tired of everyone hurting because we can't act like a normal family."

 

Ludwig drew shallow breaths through his nose. His injured eye stung. A bitter burn pierced his soul. "Sorry," Ludwig mumbled.

 

Larry walked to Ludwig. The two sat on equal eye level with Ludwig seated. Larry clenched his fists, the blood drained his knuckles. "Do you mean that? I can't tell anymore."

 

"I'm supposed to be the big brother, and here I am getting a big old lecture from you." He frowned. "And the worst part is, you're right. I never realized."

 

Larry slouched. His fingers relaxed. A soft sob on his lips. "I just don't want you to die." The younger koopaling buried his head into his brother's shoulder. His body trembled.

 

Ludwig felt the warmth of tears on his skin. His back went rigid. He felt out of his element. Afraid of how to respond. He hugged his brother back. "Alright, alright, I promise I'll be more careful. I mean it."

 

Larry cried softly in response. The stress of the journey weighed heavily on his shoulders. Ludwig felt it in each wheezing breath.

 

"D'aww, is wittle Warry having a moment?" Roy peeked his head into the sick wing.

 

Larry reeled back from Ludwig's embrace. "Shut up or I'll yank your claws out with a pair of pliers."

 

Roy burst into laughter, hugging his stomach. "What's with blue hair and mean streaks?" The koopaling entered the room. A pair of work goggles fastened to his head, improvised from welding gear by the look of it. "You had us all worried for a bit, Luddy. I about threw out my back just thinking of carrying you to the morgue."

 

"I'll hold him down, you get the pliers." Ludwig patted Larry's back. He staggered to his feet. A long hospital gown draped over his knees. Ragged stitching marred the middle. He realized that, like the bed, his caretakers cobbled together multiple hospital gowns to suit his frame.

 

"But really, it's nice to have you in the land of the living. It's been a, uh, long week."

 

"I'm sure you can fill in the blanks for me." Ludwig adjusted the eyepatch fastened over his right eye.

 

"Huh, you're handling the lost time pretty well."

 

"Larry spoiled the surprise." Ludwig limped, his knees buckled, his feet dragged on the ground.

 

Roy clicked his claws. "Listen, maybe you oughta get cleaned up. You look rough."

 

Ludwig hobbled to a washing basin and splashed his face with water. The cloth over his eye sagged, heavy with water. "Oh, right, eye patch." He grumbled, cursing the soaked fabric. Ludwig stared at his reflection.

 

A haggard semblance of himself gazed back. His hair matted and wild. The scruff on his face filled out further, his jaw hidden by a patchy chin strap that reached his sideburns. Thick red scars crept from behind the sagging eye patch, he feared what lay beneath.

 

"Rough is an understatement," Ludwig whispered, carefully unfastening his soiled eye patch.

 

A thick red scar bridged his eyebrow and cheek. His eye ached in the sudden light. Ludwig drew a short breath. His right eye was bloodshot, the iris a furious red color.

 

The pupil twitched, almost on its own volition.

 

"Stars, that's kind eerie," Ludwig touched his face. The angry stranger in the mirror mimicked him.

 

"Hey, at least you still have an eye. By all counts, it should've been torn out its socket." Roy punched Ludwig lightly on the shoulder.

 

He looked over at Larry and the younger brother shivered.

 

The last time Larry saw his brother's eyes in such a state was after he was nearly 'devoured.'

 


	9. Of Coups and Koopas

###  **Chapter 9: Of Coups and Koopas**

...

_Five Days Earlier_

_..._

 

As the Maelstrom reached peak altitude, Lemmy's inner ears popped. A droning whine filled his head. Roaring winds rushed the cargo doors, muffled by the plated metal.

 

Lemmy felt the weight of his chains. His brothers lost. Everything lined up. Everything was supposed to work. The universe was on their side. Still, they lost. They always lost.

 

"Can't think like that," Lemmy chided. He drew a stern breath and pressed his face into his shoulder and wiped a slick tear. "They tried their hardest."

 

"They still blew it," Iggy mumbled.

 

Lemmy sighed at his brother. Cool air slipped his teeth. "You know, positive thinking can get you far in life."

 

"Hasn't done you any favors."

 

"I'm not the slab of tenderized meat with a chip on his shoulder."

 

The brothers glared at each other. They held it a moment. The ire in Iggy's face was real. Icy blue irises afflicted by the pain of his days. Lemmy's glare faltered.

 

"Did you really mean it when you said we'd hang out again?"

 

Iggy blinked twice. His muzzle slacked. "Oh, no you don't, no, you're not guilt tripping me."

 

"So you didn't mean it."

 

"I..." Iggy kicked his feet, "okay, I didn't. Happy?"

 

"That's what I thought," Lemmy smiled, it didn't reach his eyes.

 

"Then why did you ask?"

 

"Because I wanted to be wrong for once."

 

Iggy's lower eyelid twitched. His chest palpitated. He choked on his words.

 

"You can't really be that mad at me," Lemmy swung on his chains, eyes to the ceiling. He searched for faces and shapes in the rivets and scuffs.

 

"It's not a crime for someone to want their space."

 

"I'm more offended you broke our pinky promise."

 

"This is not the time or the place to talk about this." Iggy seethed. His teeth clenched.

 

That did it. Little by little, chip by chip. The truth bled through the cracks.

 

"I can't think of a better opportunity, you're not going anywhere soon. If you do, take me with you, please."

 

"You wanna talk? Alright, let's talk." Iggy twisted in his chains and faced Lemmy once more. His forefinger twitched and his arm jerked. "Stupid chain link piece of..." he fought the chains, wriggling like a worm on hot concrete.

 

"Calm down, you're going to set yourself off."

 

"Don't tell me how to manage my head, I've got it all under control, Shortstack," he spat the nickname at Lemmy.

 

A tingling pinch of annoyance flared in Lemmy's brain, but after a deep breath, he ignored it.

 

"Yeah, you're the epitome of control." Lemmy rolled his eyes. "Where's your medicine?"

 

"Stop babying me," Iggy's stomach flexed, "I do not need some simple-minded shrimp of a clown to police my day. I can take care of myself."

 

Simple-minded clown? Shrimp? The fabric of Lemmy's patience frayed. "Wow, that's rich coming from the guy who shacks up in his lab for months on end and always misplaces his medicine."

 

"Hey, I came out when you begged me to play baseball."

 

"That's not the point!" Lemmy snapped. His voice bounced off the ceiling.

 

Iggy's gasped. He swung a moment. His fingers flexed.

 

Lemmy's cheeks warmed. Hot shame crawled up his neck and into his face. He eased his breathing and stared at Iggy. Lemmy's fingers twitched. "Okay I admit, I'm a little clingy, but look at me. I haven't got any friends."

 

"What are you talking about? Everyone loves you."

 

"Oh everyone thinks I'm funny and cute, good for a laugh. But no one really talks to me. They talk at me."

 

"Maybe if you took things seriously for once, people might take you serious back," Iggy said. The venom in his voice gone. He squinted to the point where tears clotted on the corners of his eyes.

 

"I'd lose my mind. Look at Ludwig," Lemmy sighed, he wanted to laugh, but it hurt.

 

"At least he treats me like I know what I'm doing."

 

Lemmy bobbed his head. The brothers were a kindred spirit in a sense. Ludwig had a habit of pushing himself beyond the limit, forgetting to step back and take care of himself too. Lemmy focused on Iggy's face. Listened to the sound of his breathing. The rhythm.

 

He saw the troubled look in his eyes.

 

"Iggy, when's the last time you took your medicine, for real?"

 

Shame crept into Iggy's countenance. His tucked his chin to his neck. "I can't reach it." He croaked.

 

"Seven Stars, you should've told me sooner." Lemmy stared at the ceiling. "Alright, alright, where are you keeping it?"

 

"Th-the front of my shell."

 

"Should've guessed," Lemmy said. "Here's the plan. We swing at each other, I'll try and latch on to you. Maybe I can fish it out."

 

Iggy sat silent. He bobbed his head. The lanky koopaling rocked his body in the chains. Metal clacked on metal. Lemmy wriggled in the same motion.

 

Lemmy strained his bound arms and twisted his body. His flexible joints creaked. Lemmy's fingers brushed the air before Iggy's chains and they swung away. Lemmy slipped a curse.

 

"Alright, we'll try again."

 

Iggy nodded.

 

"Y'know," Lemmy grunted and swayed his body, "you keeping anything else in that shell of yours? Bolt-cutters or something?"

 

Iggy rolled his eyes.

 

"I'm only trying to lighten the mood." Lemmy brushed Iggy's chains with his claws. So close. Gravity won out. He rocked gently. Shoulder sockets aching. "Gonna dislocate something at this rate."

 

Iggy's breathing intensified. "We're not going to reach it."

 

"Yes we are, third time's a charm."

 

"I'm too far. Your arms are too short. It's not going to work." Iggy clenched his fists.

 

"Keep it together, bro. I need your help with this, otherwise it really is hopeless."

 

And Lemmy realized it was already too late.

 

His brother underwent a slow transformation. The color drained his face and his eyes once lucid now shifting. Irises flicked corner to corner, straining his neck in search of monsters that hid in his peripherals.

 

"It's on my chest." Iggy gasped. He gnashed his teeth. Digging his chin into his chest. What rational thoughts remained abandoned him.

 

Lemmy panicked. His palms heavy with sweat. "Hang on, I'll figure something out," Lemmy spun his body, the chains pinched him. He ignored the pain.

 

"Gosh, you guys yell a lot."

 

Lemmy perked up. He shimmied to better face the voice. "Bigmouth?"

 

"The one and the only, at your service, well, I mean that ironically of course since you're all tied up and-"

 

"Oh thank the Stars, we need your help."

 

"Now hold on a second, I'm gonna start needing some compensation for my services. I think the boss lady's onto your little helpers. You don't want to see her mad. I haven't seen her really mad yet, and she freaks me out now, can you imagine her when she's really mad?"

 

"I will personally go through the Earth portal and get you every scrap of Crystal Warrior Utaru merch every conceived, past present and future if you just shut up and help me."

 

"That's a lot, but I'm not sure," Bigmouth watched Lemmy's face snap from panicked to frothing, "relax, relax. I'm pulling your leg. I was going to help anyway. I thought you liked jokes."

 

"Iggy needs his medicine, it's in this little pink canister down the front of his shell." Lemmy fidgeted. Struggling not to trip over his frantic words.

 

"Little pink cannister...oh ho, so Hip did bring you something," Bigmouth tromped up to Iggy and spun him to meet face to face, "lying's not nice ya know."

 

"No, no, get away," Iggy seized. The chains that restrained him clashed. His body writhed. He fought to free his claws. Lemmy eyeballed them nervously.

 

"Not until you take your medicine," Bigmouth tugged open the soft underbelly of Iggy's shell armor and reached down the front. The pink canister tumbled further down Iggy's front. It caught on the gentle curve of his stomach.

 

Bigmouth snatched it before it could venture further down and poured the pills into his open palm. "What now? He doesn't seem to be in much of a medicine taking mood."

 

"You might have to use a bit of force." Lemmy bit his bottom lip.

 

"That doesn't sound like proper care for a mentally ill person."

 

"Trust me, he's going to tear up his wrists trying to break those chains, Lemmy said.

 

Bigmouth watched Iggy's crazed eyes dance. The dewy irises flashed left and right. Bigmouth gulped and licked his lips.

 

He grabbed Iggy by the jaw. "I am so, so sorry Iggy. For everything really. I didn't mean to get your brother in trouble. I really wish Bully wasn't such a bully ya know? I hope you can learn to forgive me for this as well," the stocky mock-koopaling muscled Iggy's mouth open and forced the pills down his maw. His fingers retreated just in time for Iggy to clamp his jaws shut.

 

In the confusion, Iggy swallowed the pills and his eyes widened. He squirmed, hair covered his eyes. He screamed.

 

"Yikes." Bigmouth inched back and stood beside Lemmy. "So, uh, how's it hanging."

 

"I'd laugh if I didn't think of that pun hours ago," Lemmy mumbled.

 

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

 

"I know, I know, sorry," Lemmy sighed, "hasn't been my day is all."

 

"Hey, I didn't do it for free." Bigmouth shrugged and stepped away. "He'll be okay, right?"

 

"Yeah. He'll calm down in the next hour or so. It takes a bit for the medicine to work."

 

Bigmouth stared at the canister in his open palm and squeezed it. "I think I'll hold onto this, keep it safe, just in case."

 

"I'm in no position to stop you." Lemmy rolled his eyes.

 

Bigmouth patted Lemmy's side and watched him sway with the chains. "True, true. Now I'd love to stay but, I gotta go. I've got Peach duty for the rest of the trip. Oh, joy of joys."

 

"Hey, uh, Bigmouth. Thanks for what you did. I know he hasn't given you much reason to like him."

 

"He's given me plenty." And with that Bigmouth tromped away.

 

Lemmy sat, trapped in only his thoughts. His brother in no position for intelligent conversation. "I'm not that clingy, am I?" Lemmy whispered. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore his brother's addled ramblings.

 

His mind turned to long past days of innocence. Summers spent before Iggy came into his life. Back when it was mom, dad, Roy, and Luddy. Happy summer days spent in the wilds of the 'Darklands.'

 

Large caverns filled to the brim with treasures waiting to be discovered. Guarded by blood-sucking bats, whose eyes glimmered like gems in the lantern light.

 

Ludwig was brave back then. He charged head first into craggy holes. Roy was the cautious one, at least his mouth was.

 

He was first to tell Ludwig he was being stupid. "You're gonna break your leg."

 

Roy followed anyhow. Fists raised. Ludwig couldn't have all the credit for finding lost treasure.

 

What days they were. Afternoons spent gathering archaeological discoveries. Fossils that proved Koopas lived in the Darklands first. Of course, they were just rocks. Rocks weathered by nature or carved by the animals of the caverns. Rocks that only meant something to the adventurous boys.

 

That summer, things changed for Lemmy.

 

His mother was ready to take her annual summer trip home. Sometimes it was for a few months, other times barely even two weeks. No matter the length, she returned with a child. A new baby.

 

When Morton broke the news years later, Lemmy was hardly surprised.

 

But back then his little imagination believed anything was possible.

 

She packed her essentials in the master bedroom. Thick coats lined with downy furs spread on the bed. Simple tunics and long pants folded neatly into suitcases.

 

"Momma, where is your home? Why does papa never go?

 

"Because my papa doesn't like your papa," she told him, "but he still wants to see me."

 

"Can I see your papa? Or does he not like me either."

 

"Oh he's cranky and old, no patience for little ones like you, maybe when you're a little older." She poked young Lemmy's nose and moved the bangs from his eyes.

 

"But mama I can be good, I'll be quiet, I'll be nice." Lemmy bounced on the bed. His tiny clawed toes kicked up the covers in small mounds.

 

His mother picked him up and held him to her chest. He internalized the beat of her heart. She cradled him a moment, enjoying his presence. The warmth was comforting.

 

"I have no doubt you will Lemmy, but I need you to stay with your brothers and make sure they don't get into too much trouble. Your father needs all the help he can get."

 

"Yes mama," Lemmy reached for a lock of his mother's fiery orange bangs and twisted it with his clawed finger.

 

She set him on the bed again and he crossed his legs. Watching her pack her clothes. She reached into a trunk at the foot of her bed and lifted a leather scabbard. The seams frayed by age.

 

She dropped it into her suitcase.

 

"What's that for, mama?"

 

His mother hesitated. The softness in her features faltered for a split second. She recovered fast enough to distract Lemmy.

 

"In case pirates try to get us and our ship," she threaded her fingers through Lemmy's shaggy hair. It spiked upward in a rough mohawk.

 

"Pirates!" Lemmy gasped. His mind forgot its questions and he tried to imagine his sweet mother in the heat of naval battle. Blades locked, cannons firing. Scoundrels with eyepatches galore.

 

The way she wrangled papa and his foul moods, dumb pirates were probably appetizers.

 

"Of course, it always pays to have a backup plan in case your hands are tied." She tapped her wrists.

 

She spent dinner that night with her boys. Bowser tried to hide his worry behind a thin veneer of pomp and regality. Nose upturned, chest poofed outward. Gut sucked in.

 

Lemmy figured his father got into his moods because it was easier to say goodbye angry.

 

Most times he cracked by dessert.

 

Spiral Cinnamon buns slathered in sweet icing. Mother's specialty. Her peace offering for her husband. And normally he accepted with gusto.

 

That particular trip he left the table angry.

 

Lemmy followed his mom and dad when they weren't looking. They whispered to each other, hiding their words from prying servants and perhaps nosy children. Lemmy feared his mother knew he followed, but if she did she never confronted him.

 

He tried his luck, inching closer. Hiding his little frame behind pillars.

 

"You don't have to keep doing this, her problems aren't yours," Bowser growled.

 

Lemmy peeked around his pillar and saw his mother lock eyes with her husband. She stood on the balls of her feet to meet his height. "Problems. Really? You're going to call them problems."

 

"Aela," Bowser clasped her hand in his hefty mitt. His shoulders sagged. The Koopa king dragged his claws through his mane of red hair, "you know I didn't mean it like that."

 

Aela stroked the back of Bowser's hand, "I don't understand why this is always a fight with you."

 

The Koopa patriarch's brow softened. He hooked the flat of his finger under her chin and tipped her face upward, his gaze locked on hers. "Sooner or later you're going to get caught. What then?"

 

"Dragor be willing, I'd see them all dead before they kept me from coming home," Aela pressed her muzzle to his and closed her eyes, "and if all else fails, I'd have you to come and save me."

 

Lemmy tilted his head. Dragor? Getting caught?

 

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Bowser said.

 

Aela's lips tightened into a hard line and she leaned close, Lemmy crawled closer to listen, "father's letter mentioned Arn. He's disappeared."

 

"And your sister?" Bowser frowned.

 

"He went chasing after her."

 

"Of course." Bowser rubbed his temples. "Damned Surftskein ought to keep it in his pants if he knows what's good for him."

 

"Too late for him, I think."

 

"Oh no, you mean there's another one?"

 

Aela nodded.

 

Lemmy's little mind tasted the new word. Zoorft-skine. Arn? Sister? The more he listened the more he realized his mother went on real adventures. He envied Kamek and the soldiers who traveled with his mother.

 

"Wow," Lemmy whispered, he gasped and covered his mouth.

 

Bowser tilted his head. He peeked around Aela at a pillar opposite him. The female Koopa rolled her eyes and smiled.

 

"Lemmy." Bowser barked. Stern and affirmative. Lemmy froze.

 

"Come on out, Lemmy," his mother called.

 

Lemmy knew better than to disobey when caught. He edged around the pillar with hands behind his back. Tail dangled between his legs. A defensive grin on his cheeks.

 

"You know it's not polite to eavesdrop on mama and papa," she squatted to his level and rested her elbows on her knees.

 

"I want to come and help you find your sister, I didn't know I had an aunt!"

 

Her grin faltered and Bowser's jaw clenched.

 

"Oh, Lemmy," his mother stroked the young koopaling's cheek, "we talked about this. When you're older."

 

"Aw, I want to fight pirates and meet zoofskins and, and-"

 

"When he's older?" Bowser snapped. He looked down at Lemmy. "More like never."

 

Aela pinched an imaginary zipper by her lips and swept it shut. Bowser glared at her.

 

"When he's older and it's safer," Aela said slowly.

 

His father's tone frightened him. The way he and his mother looked at each other. He felt a fight brewing, one that simmered close to the surface for too long. "Okay, papa, I won't go ever."

 

Aela and Bowser broke from their argument and faced the child. Aela sighed, a gloomy sadness possessed her features. She glanced at Bowser. "We'll deal with this later, I need to finish preparations."

 

Lemmy stood in the hallway beside his father. Bowser's broad frame served to make Lemmy feel even smaller than he already did. The koopaling looked up at his father. "I'm sorry papa."

 

Bowser's face twitched, he raked his claws through his fiery red mane. "It's nothing you did." He crossed his arms behind his head, a yawn stretched his maw. "Go play with your brothers, I need to talk to your mother." Bowser knelt to Lemmy's level. "Alone, understand?"

 

Lemmy bobbed his head dumbly. "Yes, papa."

 

He rubbed Lemmy's shoulder. The king of Koopas grunted and stood to his feet. He followed the long hallways. Clawed toes rubbing the sleek stone floor.

 

Lemmy felt his heart sink every day his mother was gone. The way his father spoke of her home sent chills down his spine. He spent nights staring at the ceiling, trying to imagine where she landed.

 

His mind's eye conjured the Yoshi Isles and the Mushroom Kingdom. The closest approximation to an alien land Lemmy knew. Still, his dreams of following her there someday remained.

 

For months, Lemmy kept his worries and desires a secret from his brothers. They were far too wrapped up in their own issues to see his distress. He liked it better that way. No need to talk about it. No need to upset them.

 

When she returned this time. She brought someone different. The course of his existence altered.

 

She returned with a brother. One that looked like him, to some degree. He lacked Ludwig's blue hair and Roy's pink complexion.

 

Instead, he sported the smooth scales and technicolor 'plumage' like himself.

 

This was the first time he met Iggy.

 

**X-X-X**

 

The chains rattled and Lemmy snapped to attention. His neck ached, stiff from the poor sleeping position. "Shoot," he yawned, his wrist burned, "what time is it?"

 

Slowly, he remembered his predicament. His waking mind shooed its reflections and dreams. Reality has come a-knocking, wakey wakey. Lemmy shook his head.

 

Bully stood in front of Iggy, a buzzing mechanical device in his right hand. Lemmy's angle made it difficult to discern exactly what it was. The larger mock-koopaling grabbed Iggy by the hair and yanked it straight.

 

Iggy squirmed, his legs kicked.

 

"Knock it off, or this is going to be a lot worse for you," the device in Bully's hand buzzed louder.

 

Lemmy choked on his throat. Bully set his arm to Iggy's forehead. "Hey, hey, he gave you your answers, don't hurt...him..."

 

Clumps of green hair rained to the ground. Iggy's locks disappeared with each go of the buzzer. Leaving behind the prickly roughness of fresh cut hair. The patchy roots a technicolor assortment of hair.

 

"Uh, what?" Lemmy quirked his eyebrow.

 

The mock Koopaling peeked over his shoulder. Razor in hand. He smirked at Lemmy and said nothing as he unhooked Iggy's chains. The lanky koopaling slumped over Bully's shoulders, exhaustion set in.

 

"Heavier than you look, jeez," Bully rolled his shoulder to better accommodate Iggy, "Bigmouth, get the other one. And keep your eyes on him, he's tricky."

 

Bigmouth sheepishly approached from behind Lemmy. He fiddled with the locks on the chains. Lemmy crashed to the ground, striking his head on the hard floor. Lemmy winced, tears welled behind his eyes.

 

"Oops," Bigmouth covered his mouth.

 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," truth be told, he was not fine. Lemmy eased onto his feet. His legs felt like gelatin, the scales on his arms rubbed raw by the chains. He smoothed them best he could and gasped. The flesh burned.

 

Lemmy stood beside Bigmouth. Bully led them into the light. Lemmy savored the sight of sky beyond the portholes. The sun and moon shared a horizon, waving one another on.

 

Thick clouds obscured the land below, but clouds were enough to tell Lemmy they left the Koophari and his brothers far behind. Lemmy recognized the path to Peach's holding room.

 

He counted the doors along the way, trying to distract his mind from the distress. Part of him wanted to scream. He ignored it.

 

Bully slid open the door and threw Iggy onto the floor. He shoved Lemmy in next.

 

Iggy clutched his middle, writhing in pain.

 

Lemmy looked down at Iggy and faced Bully. "Hey, how's your tooth?"

 

"Shut up." Bully rubbed his cheek.

 

Morton and Wendy waited in a corner. Their wrists chained together. Kooky supervised them a few feet away. Thick bandages covered his leg. Charred flesh outlined the edge of the patchwork.

 

Most surprising to Lemmy was his hair, of all things. The wild mop of blue hair had been tamed by the world's unluckiest brush. Parted in the way Ludwig liked it.

 

Lemmy looked at his shorn younger brother, two and two clicked. They were dressing up the clones and roughing the genuine articles. To what end? Lemmy gulped.

 

"Here's the last of 'em, sure you and that bum leg can handle it?" Bully nudged Kooky's wounded limb with the tip of his toes.

 

Kooky snapped. "Stop that."

 

"I'll take that as a yes," Bully reached for the door, "don't screw this up."

 

Kooky's upper lip scrunched. "Wouldn't dream of it."

 

Bully shut the door behind him.

 

A weight settled on the room. Everyone sat still. The sound of their breathing hardly audible over the gentle hum of the ship's inner workings. Lemmy took a seat beside his younger brother and sister.

 

"Man, I'm glad to see you guys are okay." Lemmy smiled.

 

They said nothing. Morton peeked up at Lemmy. His usual stoic features marred with a bitter sadness. Lemmy stared ahead. Dread loomed over him.

 

**X-X-X**

 

Bowser meandered the bedchamber hall. Where normally there was the day to day commotion of the Koopalings, now only his hollow footfalls echoed. He buried his maw in the crook of his elbow and hacked.

 

His throat burned raw. The sound of his heart pounded in his ears. He tried to shake the dizziness from his eyes.

 

"Bowser!" Kamek puttered through the air perched on his enchanted broomstick. "Er, lord Bowser, there you are! You mustn't leave your bed, your body needs rest so the medicine can work."

 

Bowser wiped his chin on his arm. His bleary bloodshot eyes rolled. "I needed to stretch my legs a bit, that won't kill me will it?"

 

Kamek sighed, "I suppose not."

 

The two followed the length of bedchambers. Each door color coded according to their owner. Bowser counted the doors as he once did when they were young.

 

"What's on your mind?" Kamek lowered his broom to meet at Bowser's eye level. An old trick he adapted when Bowser outgrew his humble servant.

 

"Like I said, needed to stretch my legs."

 

"In the west wing specifically?" Kamek cocked his head.

 

Bowser ignored his adviser.

 

"Just come out with it, you're worried about them."

 

Bowser batted Kamek away. The magikoopa clung to his broom. He steadied himself.

 

"I don't blame you if you are. I remember the first time I let you do things unsupervised. Stars above, the anxiety was so bad my heart almost quit." Kamek kept his distance from Bowser's claws.

 

Bowser stopped at Ludwig's door and sighed. "I'm not worried. I wrote them up a basic game plan and everything. They'll be fine."

 

"With all due respect your majesty, they probably ignored your plan."

 

"Knowing Luddy, yeah," Bowser rubbed his chin, "and Lemmy and Roy probably went right along with it. And if they do it, everyone else does. Maybe Junior set them straight on it."

 

"He probably tried," Kamek shrugged, "but if they won't listen to you, what makes you think they'll listen to him?"

 

"If wanted someone to nag me, I would've remarried," Bowser growled at Kamek.

 

Kamek frowned. He pinched frames of his spectacles and pushed them higher up the bridge of his beak.

 

Bowser coughed into his arm again. He clenched his eyes shut. His back seized. He scratched the sores on his neck and his arms. It proved a false respite as the itchiness returned. It felt like bugs crawling under his skin.

 

"Bowser, you really ought to return to your quarters."

 

He propped his weight on a wall. Arms dragged over his forehead. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. He stifled a cough. "Fine, fine," Bowser pushed from the wall. His legs wobbled.

 

"Now, if you're willing to be a pinch more polite, I might be able to deliver some good news." Kamek crossed his arms.

 

Bowser groaned. "Alright Kamek, sorry."

 

"The city guard in Ashlot called in a report not too long ago," Kamek cleared his throat, "a Koopa Krusier entered their airspace."

 

Bowser's shoulders relaxed as he exhaled, "how long ago was this?"

 

"An hour, I'd wager."

 

"Wait, that means they could be here any minute," Bowser hobbled down the bedchamber hall. Kamek kept his pace steady. The Koopa king wheezed. "Any news on how the mission went?"

 

"From the sound of things, they have Peach in their custody."

 

"Stars, at least something went right this weekend." Bowser said, "I need to get ready to meet them, shoot."

 

"I'll handle that sir. You get your rest." Kamek waved his hand.

 

They walked together the rest of the way to Bowser's quarters. The koopa king hobbled into his room. A pinch of color returned to his pale face. A hint of a smile on the corners of his lips.

 

He crawled into the bed and stared the ceiling. His eyelids fluttered. The short walk and his illness sapped so much energy. He hated how useless he was.

 

consciousness waded in an out. Feverish visions invaded his mind. Sounds that weren't really there. Crashing glass, footsteps behind his door, the rustling of Kamek's robe on the rug.

 

He opened his eyes, half expecting to see his adviser in the middle of the room. No one was there.

 

The furniture rattled. A rank sulfur stench invaded the room. Despite his clogged sinuses, he inhaled the brunt of the smell. A distant tower of smoke belched forth from the vicious crags on the horizon.

 

Streams of lava snaked down the tip. Ash blotted the sky. He counted back from ten, and when his castle continued to stand, he exhaled a hot breath of relief.

 

A curse and a blessing, the broiling magma. Pumps churned outside the window, hard at work displacing the lava influx. The lights flickered, breakers adjusted to the energy harnessed from the molten stew of rocks.

 

Bowser blinked and the moon leered behind the ashen cloud. Fat and yellow. An irrational fevers stricken patch of brain alarmed him: you missed it, the kids are home and you were too sick to see them.

 

"That's my luck," Bowser grumbled.

 

He sat up in bed, his head swam. A tall mug of juice rested at the nightstand beside him. Kamek had paid a visit in his delirious state. Bowser reached for the mug and sipped. He grimaced, it tasted like the inside of his nose.

 

A swelling chorus of voices rose beyond the door. Laughter and celebration. Bowser kicked off his sheets, ready to greet the others. His body protested each action. Locking his joints and spiking his temples with reeling headaches.

 

Bowser rested his body on the wide stone doorframe for a moment. He blinked the blurriness from his vision and pushed open the door.

 

Kamek shuffled on the ground, accompanied by a procession of castle guards. Peach Toadstool stood beside him. Her head lowered and her face obscured by her blond hair.

 

"Where're the koopalings?" Bowser squinted.

 

"They're unpacking, apparently they brought you a surprise." Kamek grinned.

 

Bowser stifled a cough. He eased back into his quarters. Kamek and Peach followed. He sat at the foot of his bed. Feet dangling over the edge.

 

"Welcome back, your highness." Bowser bowed curtly.

 

Peach brushed the hair from her face. Her eyes met his and for a moment Bowser's feverish mind saw the colors in her irises shift. She grinned at him, her usual warmth replaced with a porcelaine stillness.

 

"I understand, you're mad at me, yeah, I guess I'd be mad at me too, but," Bowser twiddled his thumbs, her unending stare struck him with the strangest sort of dread, "you know why you're here."

 

"Do I?" Peach advanced on Bowser. Her movements were stiff. The soft sound of her bare feet clapping on the stone floor filled the air. "All these years and you still want me?"

 

Bowser blinked. His throat caught. "No that's not it at all."

 

Peach hummed and inspected her nails, she paced Bowser, "tut, tut, kidnapping girls at your age and a liar. No wonder your children are all such productive members of society."

 

Color flashed in Bowser's cheeks. His nostrils flared, smoke trailed from them. His eyes lit with rage. He bit back the overwhelming urge to strike her. She spoke out of anger, he knew that. "Since I like you, I'll ignore that little remark."

 

"And he's missing his backbone." Peach crossed her arms and stared down at Kamek. "Don't tell me he's getting soft in his old age."

 

Bowser stomped from the bed and his maw parted, ready to roar at her, but a pathetic wheezy gasp parted his lips instead. He covered his mouth. His stomach twisted, his cheeks burned crimson.

 

"Nice try." She smirked at him.

 

"Laugh it up, because your stay here is going to be a nightmare," Bowser clenched his fists, "I wanted to take it easy on you, I really did."

 

"Oh my, I've made a terrible mistake." Peach gasped and covered her mouth. Followed by a caustic laugh.

 

Kamek looked between the two royals, his fingers clasped. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps, lord Bowser, we can inform her majesty on the fastest way she can return home. She's obviously in a foul mood."

 

"Right," Bowser cleared his throat, "we've lived on this forsaken corner of the world for far too long. Your father owes my father, and I intend to make good on his debts."

 

"Because Agaricus cracked all the other times you kidnapped me, right?"

 

"Mario's getting old. Your father's infirm. And we both know who has the superior army."

 

A short knock at the door snapped Bowser's attention. Peach flashed her teeth. She anticipated what awaited.

 

Bowser scowled at her. "Kamek, get the door."

 

"Right away, sir."

 

Roy stepped into the room. His sunglasses haphazardly patched together with glue. He held a long narrow object wrapped in white cloth.

 

Kamek froze. The magikoopa's breathing shortened. His fingers clenched his wand.

 

"Finally," Bowser rubbed his temples, "your brothers and sister are on their way, I assume."

 

"Yup." Roy nodded, he approached Peach. A warmth exuded from the wrapped object. The hair's on Bowser's arms raised.

 

"What happened to your glasses?"

 

Roy rubbed the back of his neck. "Had a little trouble at Peach's castle, their new security's tough."

 

"A Toad did that to you?" Bowser quirked his brow.

 

"Not a Toad," Roy mumbled, "someone a lot meaner."

 

Bowser's rubbed his chin, trying to excuse his awkward behavior, "so Kamek mentioned a surprise. What's that in your hand?"

 

"D'aw, he spoiled it." Roy shrugged, he stomped past Peach with the cloth in his hand. "This technically ain't your surprise, but a bonus we picked up along the way. Thought you might appreciate it."

 

Roy unfurled the cloth to reveal a mushroomer sword. Plain in appearance with fine white dust on the blade. Roy took great care not to touch the edge.

 

"Er, you shouldn't have," Bowser stared at the sword.

 

Kamek stared at the sword and then at Roy. "You didn't."

 

"Wasn't easy," Roy twisted the sword with his wrist. It looked comically small in his grasp.

 

"I don't follow, Kamek what's the deal?" Bowser felt lost between his adoptive son and his royal adviser.

 

"This is Agaricus's sword," Kamek squeezed his wand.

 

The sword that conquered a whole kingdom. Bowser's stomach churned. Kamek told him stories of it in his youth. He imagined a blade with a jeweled hilt, twice as long as its wielder. Not a grunt's sidearm.

 

Bowser's face lit up, and for once since his affliction, a true smile brightened his features, "we could turn it right back at them."

 

"No, absolutely not," Kamek snapped, his face hardened.

 

Bowser rolled his eyes. "Come on, it's irony or poetic justice or something."

 

"If you listen to anything I tell you today, then make it this," Kamek pointed his wand at the sword, "we need to do away with that infernal thing ASAP."

 

Bowser reached out to grab the sword from Roy, but Roy yanked it back from Bowser's reach.

 

"Hey!" Bowser growled.

 

Roy stifled a gasp, "sorry king dad, I was just trying to protect you from the blade. Trust me you don't wanna accidentally cut yourself."

 

"Don't tell me you tested it on someone." Kamek's eyes glared fire through his spectacles.

 

Roy shook his head and nodded at Peach. "A-," he bit his bottom lip and cleared his throat, "ah, she told me all about it."

 

Bowser stared at Roy. "Did you just call me king dad?"

 

The koopaling froze. "I mean you're a king and my dad."

 

Secretly he missed the nickname. Perhaps he should have entrusted the koopalings with their own mission years ago. Bowser clapped Roy on the back.

 

Another knock at the door sent Roy's spine rigid.

 

"That's probably the surprise." Roy inched away from Bowser, the tendons in his forearms tensed. His wrist quivered.

 

Peach smoothed back her hair. She stared at Bowser, her teeth flashed white.

 

The door swung open and a throng of koopalings filed in. Four of which chained together. White sacks covered their faces. Bowser turned to Roy, "what's all this?"

 

Kooky shut the door behind him, he and Bigmouth blockaded it with their frames. Bully pivoted on his heel, fist raised. His knuckles swiped Kamek's beak. The magikoopa's spectacles flew across the room.

 

Bowser gasped. He raised his shaking fists to fight. He staggered and dropped to his knees. Rattling slow inhalation, his lungs burned.

 

"Settle down, settle down," Amanita tucked her arms behind her back. She paced one of the bound Koopalings, she snapped her fingers at Bully, "otherwise someone gets hurt."

 

Bully nodded and grabbed the closest prisoner. The lankiest of the four. Bully ripped the sack from his head.

 

Iggy gasped for air. His eyes wild. Bowser hardly recognized him beyond the purpling bruises and shaved head. Bully held the sword to Iggy's neck.

 

"R-Roy, let your brother go." Bowser wheezed.

 

"My, you Koopas are all thick, aren't you?" Amanita propped her elbow on Bowser's shoulder, "that's not Roy. I'm not Peach."

 

"What?"

 

"Deaf too," Amanita patted Bowser's head.

 

Bowser snarled and snapped his jaws at her hand. Amanita recoiled.

 

"Careful, wouldn't want that sword to slip, would you?" Amanita gestured to Iggy with her forehead.

 

Bowser snorted, he trained his gaze on Iggy. There was desperate pleading in his eyes. A strange sensation overcame the patriarch. He wanted to reach out, to fight back, but his aching joints reminded him of the risk. Bowser's head bowed, fists trembling. A soft sigh on his lips.

 

"That's better," Amanita inched closer to Bowser.

 

"Shut up and tell me what you want," Bowser grumbled. His cracked lips burned.

 

"Many things, but we can start with your unconditional surrender."

 

"Say what?"

 

"This is war, darling," Amanita leaned over Kamek's twitching semi-conscious form, she kicked away his wand, "a war we've been fighting for years."

 

"We? You said you weren't Peach."

 

"I represent her best interests," Amanita crossed her arms.

 

Bowser's lips pursed. The rhythm of his heart quickened. Surrender? Was she serious? He had an entire standing army ready to punt her wormy head into lava.

 

"If I have to ask you again, we get to test that sword," Amanita stood beside Iggy and Bully. She stroked the flat of the blade, a soft humming sound filled the air.

 

Bowser lowered at her. His teeth bared. The purple sores on his gums seared in the exposed air.

 

"The blacksmith who forged the blasted thing nicked his finger trying to sharpen it," Amanita's finger trailed from the sword up to Iggy's neck, she dragged a jagged fingernail over the tender flesh, "he was bed ridden the next day. Five days later, we attended the funeral," she rubbed her finger and thumb together, the pale residue of dust dribbled from her skin, "a blackened husk and some dust were all that remained."

 

The precarious inch of space between Iggy's neck and the blade sent Bowser's heart into a panic. He noticed a disturbing lack of other Koopalings. He recognized Wendy's painted claws, Lemmy's short stature, Morton's dark skin. But Ludwig, Larry, Roy, Junior...

 

"W-where's the rest of them?"

 

"Wow, the nerve of you," Amanita rubbed Iggy's arm, "he's more concerned with his favorite. You really ought to have listened to your older brother when you both had the chance."

 

"That's not what I meant!" Bowser wailed, his eyes beset by panic. He wanted to be angry, to be frightening, anything more than an ill mess of a Koopa.

 

"Oh they're stranded in the middle of a desert, probably half dead or something. I mean they've got a heck of a walk, and shoot it's gotta be hot, but the jerks escaped. Honestly, I would've taken the ride home," Bigmouth chirped.

 

"Bigmouth!" Amanita, Kooky, and Bully snapped at him in unison.

 

He shielded his face. The others sighed, grumbling soft curses. Amanita shook her head.

 

Bowser swore he heard muted laughter from Lemmy.

 

"Is that true?" Bowser propped himself on the bed. "The others, they're alive."

 

"You should concentrate on the ones that might die right now." Amanita gritted her teeth, her composure cracked. Bowser watched her hair flash brown, black, and her eyes flicker blank.

 

"I'll surrender," Bowser panted, "on the lone condition that you tell me the truth."

 

Amanita rubbed her temples.

 

"Yeah, yeah, he's telling the truth," Bully loosed an exasperated sigh, "the dumbass can't tell anything but the truth. Especially when you don't want to hear it."

 

Bigmouth covered his mouth, but the flash of anger in his eyes was all too apparent.

 

"Fine, that's it then. Let him go," Bowser sat on the bed.

 

Bully watched Amanita for her call. She pinched the bridge of her nose and twirled her finger in the air. "You heard him, King Bowser surrendered. Spread the word. We've got some loyalists to weed out."

 

Bully wrapped Kingsbane with the cloth. A low whine tickled Bowser's ear. It came from the sword's direction. Bowser's stomach twisted.

 

Iggy stared at the floor. Hot tears streamed down his cheek.

 

"Are you alright?" Bowser squeezed the sheets, he was ready to pass out. To wake up from this nightmare.

 

"You were going to let them kill me," Iggy trembled, "before you heard Junior was alive."

 

"Don't you dare pull that with me," Bowser snapped, "I wanted to make sure you were all okay."

 

Iggy shirked at the outburst but a certain bitterness invaded his son's features. One he recognized in Ludwig. Bowser's stomach jerked. The captured koopalings were yanked from the room.

 

The Ludwig lookalike followed behind them. He hobbled, prodding the back of the line with a wand. Bully scooped up Kamek and draped him over his shoulder. The magikoopa sagged, his limbs limp.

 

The one they called Bigmouth peeked over his shoulder. He cocked his head, his expression puzzled. Poised to dissect the king with his eyes. He left, content with whatever he found.

 

Amanita placed a hand on her hip. "Get moving, your highness. I've got a special place to stick you."

 

**X-X-X**

 

Wendy blinked back tears. The musty smell of mildew tickled her nostrils. A brimstone and sulfur aftertaste told her she was home.

 

She took in her scant surroundings. Three stone walls and iron bars. A bucket covered in ancient stains guarded its own corner of the room. Wendy kept her distance.

 

A metal gate clanged shut, she twisted around to see Kooky locking a cell door.

 

He fumbled with the key, streams of hushed obscenities flowed freely from his lips. Wendy scowled at him.

 

"Don't give me that," he stifled his laughter, "if you and the others behaved yourselves we wouldn't have to isolate you. It's difficult finding places to shove you all and make sure you don't cause trouble."

 

"Oh, poor you."

 

"I'm not the one locked up in a dungeon without makeup," Kooky cackled, his voice echoed off the ceiling, "and I'm starting to see why you're so obsessed with it. You've got a, er, manly complexion."

 

Wendy's knuckles whitened, she grabbed the bars and shook them, "how about I wring your neck thin and even out that gimp leg of yours."

 

Kooky clapped his hands of dust and left her to stew. He limped, content with his victory. Wendy hated him more the wistful relaxed smile than anything else.

 

She slumped on the bars, her face pressed the cold metal.

 

The low roar of high altitude wind surrounded her and she realized the weight of her loneliness. She backed from the prison cell bars. Her tail flicked. Claws clicked on stone floors.

 

A single barred window peered into the outside world. Merely large enough for her head to peer through. The ashen clouds painted the sky, the bubbling molten rock glowed red like streams of neon. Her chest tightened. She could see the entire castle from the prison window.

 

The main building, the hangar bay, the lava treatment pumps, and the battered roads that led to Koopa City proper.

 

She was in the Tower. Cold and destitute, ignored like everything from Bowser's glory days. Wendy wrapped her knuckles on the stone, a nervous beat, she bit her bottom lip.

 

"Stars, there's no way out, is there?" She whispered and the wind drowned it.

 

Wendy rubbed her temples. The looming sense of loss, dug into her innards. Her breathing hastened, the booming rhythm of her heart ached.

 

Realistically, she knew the kingdom wasn't lost yet. There would be a revolt. Others would welcome the shift in power. Anything's better than Bowser.

 

Just like when she and her brothers decided to abandon his plan.

 

Wendy imagined it, the entire kingdom shrugging off their fallen monarch. "Anything's better."

 

Then there was the most obvious demon, Amanita. Wendy played out the possibilities in her mind. What part of Peach did she come from? It bothered her sensibilities. Peach was stern at times, but she pitied Bowser, never hated him.

 

"Outwardly, at least," Wendy responded to the dialogue in her mind.

 

Her haphazard use of the Koopaling clones, though. That didn't make sense. Wendy saw her play games with them. Promise thrones, promise power. Twist them, hurt them, lock them in conflict.

 

Use, abuse, cast aside.

 

"That's not her." Wendy sighed, "I know there is not a single bone in Peach's body capable of that."

 

Throughout her life, she only had her father. He loved his lone princess as any good father would, but he was no mother.

 

A bitter sense of envied welled in her guts. The older three knew her mom. Her smile, her voice. The warmth of her embrace. She was gone now, but at least they knew what it was like.

 

The closest thing Wendy experienced was Peach.

 

Wendy rubbed the makeup on her cheek. Tacky and gummy. The thick cream smudged into her fingers. Despite herself, Wendy smiled at memories: her little girl face with raccoon eyes and cakes of a poorly blended foundation.

 

Peach taught her tricks and delicate intricacies her clumsy father could never manage.

 

Could Peach be capable of Amanita? The Peach who so gently encouraged her to try again, who helped her feel right in her skin.

 

"Wendy, psst."

 

The koopaling peered between her fingers. Her lips tightened. She peeked over her shoulder. Hip watched her from the bars. Dewey eyes and baby-faced like the genuine Lemmy.

 

"What do you want?" She wiped tears from the corner of her eyes.

 

"To help of course." Hip watched his surroundings. His voice low, hardly a whisper.

 

"I think it's too little too late." Wendy sighed.

 

"Lemmy told me you'd be most willing to work with us," Hip sighed.

 

"Lemmy?" Wendy perked up. "About time he tried doing something about this."

 

Hip rolled his eyes. "He's been trying to figure out a way to bust you guys out for at least two days now. It's not easy coming up with a plan, especially when you guys freak out when we try to help."

 

Wendy felt her cheeks flush. She stared at her claws and sighed. "Hold on a sec, how do I know I can trust you?"

 

"I get the feeling that you'll rationalize anything I say or do as a lie," Hip stretched his arms above his head and his back popped. He breathed softly. His nose twitched.

 

"Because I don't see your stake in this."

 

Hip rubbed his arm, his face shifted and a shadow settled over his demeanor. "I don't want any more people to get hurt."

 

Wendy watched his eyes. Trying to scry for the truth in his facial features. When the futility set in, she propped her side on the cell bars. "People are going to get hurt if you help us, too, maybe even you."

 

"Let me put it this way," Hip drummed his fingers on the metal bars, the claws clicked in rapid succession, "I think she's less about taking over the Koopa Kingdom and more about taking it out. That includes my gullible brothers and me."

 

"Huh, one of you guys actually gets it."

 

"And more of us do every minute we're with that psycho," Hip shook his head, "I fear it might be too late before anyone does something. That's why I'm here."

 

"Okay, pretend I buy your excuse, what exactly do you intend to do?"

 

"Uh, how did Lemmy put it," Hip peeked over his shoulder, "Bowser's reputation is...fading. He's losing loyal supporters every second. If you guys can work together, maybe you can drum up enough support to reverse this coup."

 

"Kinda hard to do in a dungeon," Wendy lowered her voice and leaned closer to Hip.

 

"That's why I'm going to help you guys bust out." Hip's eyes narrowed. "I should've done more on the Maelstrom, I'm not going to make that mistake again."

 

"I'm in," Wendy grinned.

 

"Like that? After all the questions, just like that." Hip chuckled.

 

"To be honest I never really was good at sitting on my hands in a jail cell, no patience for it." Wendy paced the cell, it felt smaller with each passing round.

 

"That's a relief," Hip stared at the lock, "now all I need to do is convince Morton and Iggy to hop on board and maybe we can get somewhere."

 

Wendy snorted. "We're never getting out of here."

 

"Wanna bet?" Hip stepped from the cell, he descended the staircase beyond Wendy's prison. "Oh, and don't go anywhere, I'll be back."

 

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Smart ass."

 

**X-X-X**

 

Peach dragged her finger along the window sill, a thick layer of black coated her fingertip. She wiped the residue on her tattered gown. "Looks like Bowser doesn't keep up with this room anymore."

 

The queen sat on a plush pink loveseat. Its aged frame creaked. A cloud of dust poofed from the cushions. Peach covered her face and sneezed. She elected to stand instead.

 

Her mind raced, trying to imagine ways Mario survived his fall.

 

"He's tough, but, Stars, is he that tough?" Peach's doubt shadowed her thoughts.

 

A numb burning sensation welled in her throat. Tears wanted to flow, but she refused. Mario wouldn't want her to give up. Her son counted on her coming home, especially if Mario...

 

Her spine cringed. She decided in that moment that thinking of Mario's fate was dangerous. Peach bottled the feelings deep inside and concentrated.

 

All she would need to do is bypass a locked door. Peach tested the knob's tension. It clicked in her fingers. She put her back to the door and stared at the sky beyond the window. Swirling ash engulfing the sun, the molten red light illuminated the hillside.

 

"The window." Peach tapped on the glass pane. No doubt it was made to withstand the wild heat and weather of the Darklands. Peach paced the room, searching for a blunt instrument.

 

An ornate tabletop lamp caught her eye. Behind its thin cloth lampshade, she noticed the light bulb was absent. She ran her fingers along the length of the base.

 

"Solid brass," she whispered.

 

She lifted it, her arms buckled. Definitely made for Koopas. Peach grimaced and set the lamp on the table again.

 

It would certainly make short work of the glass if she could lift it. Peach stared out the window. The castle's facade offered a few protrusions to climb. A stone lip beneath the windows wide enough for her to stand.

 

"But where to from there?" She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. The layout of Castle Koopa lingered in her memory like a bad aftertaste.

 

The door creaked open, Peach turned from the window. Her heart raced. Fearing Amanita guessed her plans and ploy.

 

Bowsers wide frame encompassed the doorway. He stood sideway and squeezed. Koopa guards in spiked armor pointed spears at him.

 

"You guys don't have to do this," Bowser croaked, his voice cracked beneath the pressure of his illness.

 

"Sorry sir, orders are orders."

 

"I'm your king!"

 

"Was, sir, was." They shut the door.

 

"You miserable little turncoats," Bowser roared and spasmed into a coughing fit, "when I...I get out of here," his coughing worsened, "I'm going to stick you on spits and slow cook you with a volcanic vent."

 

"Bowser?" Peach approached slowly.

 

Bowser froze. He turned to face Peach. "Not you again."

 

"Sound like you had a run in with Amanita."

 

"Thank the Stars, it's the real you," Bowser sighed and stared at the ceiling, he reached out to her with the intention to hug, but Peach stepped back. "Right, I've caught a little case of ivory fever, it looks worse than it is. Besides, I don't think humans can even catch it."

 

"You had me kidnapped, wrecked my castle, ruined my kid's birthday party, and when things get rough for you, you think we're suddenly friends?" Peach glared at him.

 

Bowser bit his bottom lip.

 

"You go quiet for years and out of nowhere decide it's fun to steal me from my family again. I've had this nagging question. Why?"

 

"I wanted to negotiate something with you."

 

"Negotiate," Peach's jaw slacked, "you know how responsible leaders of countries negotiate? I'll tell you what they don't do, plan high-profile kidnappings."

 

"As if you'd listen to me any other way," Bowser found his courage, he raised his voice.

 

"Maybe if you tried acting like an actual leader and not some spoiled teenager, I would listen."

 

"If that was true you would have listened a long time ago." Bowser clenched his fists and stared down at her. He wobbled at his full height.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"You said you'd fix the things your dad did wrong. The things he ruined for my people."

 

Peach folded her arms and exhaled. "You ruined that for yourself when you decided to make my country enemy number one."

 

"Because you were taking too long," Bowser snapped, "another year Bowser, I need another year. I'm still working on it, Bowser. And years passed and nothing happened."

 

"I couldn't simply snap my fingers and make everything okay, I'd be deposed in a week," Peach jabbed Bowser's stomach with her finger, "and let's not beat around the bush here, you were acting out because Aela died."

 

Bowser's eyes widened. His teeth bared. "You leave her out of this."

 

"How can I leave her out when you carry her into everything you do, especially when it comes to your kids," Peach shouted down Bowser, "I heard what happened. I knew you changed when Junior came along, but I didn't know just how much."

 

Bowser fumbled with his response and opted to grumble.

 

"I'm sick of waiting for you to grow up," Peach punched Bowser's stomach, it glanced off his tough hide and soft underbelly, "everything bad happening right now is your fault. Mario might be dead, your kids might die, my son might end up an orphan..." Peach pounded Bowser again.

 

"I, wow," Bowser coughed into his fist, he winced more at her pointed words rather than her dainty punches.

 

Peach dropped on the dusty couch and covered her face. Her cheeks flushed red. It felt good to get it all off her chest.

 

"Well, there's some help on the outside. The boys are on the way to come and bail us out of this mess. Just have faith and hope, right?" Bowser grinned and clasped his hands. "Like you always did when I..." his cheeks loosened, his brow furled, "kidnapped you."

 

The outburst quelled and Peach's sound mind had time to reflect. A weight removed from her chest. Peach sighed and shook her head. Amanita's existence started to make more sense to her the longer she dwelled.

 

Peach drew a deep breath. "We have to help ourselves this time or else they might not have anything left to save."

 


	10. A Change of Plans

###  **Chapter 10: A Change of Plans**

 

Mario pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed the wells of his eyes. A bronze telephone receiver lay tucked between his head and shoulder. He flapped his red cap and fanned his forehead, his hairs dark with sweat.

 

"What do you mean you're still at Stonekeeper? Seven help me," Agaricus croaked, "you're wasting your time at some dreadful fighting arena are you?"

 

"Glitzville was housing a dangerous artifact, I had to..." Mario drew a sharp breath, "listen that's not important. One of the kids got hurt. Nearly killed, alright?"

 

"Then leave him behind. He's dead weight."

 

"He's the leader of the pack, the others were threatening mutiny."

 

"Where is your spine, man?" Agaricus raised his voice to a harsh whisper. "I hear you've let them have free reign of the town."

 

"They were supervised by Lieutenant Vine."

 

"Right, right, one lone toad against four of those demons, what sort of king are you?"

 

"I am king, never the less."

 

"The council you instated begs to differ," Agaricus drew hoarse breaths as he attempted to calm himself. The other side of the phone sounded like wool was being dragged over the receiver. "We appreciate everything you've done for us, Mario. Without your efforts, this kingdom would have fallen years ago, but --"

 

"Then trust me on this. I know what I'm doing."

 

"Sorry, but I'm afraid the time has passed for trust," Agaricus said plainly. He strained to muster the remaining ounces of his regal timber, "the council has agreed that you are unfit as the acting ruler of this kingdom. Your emotions have clouded your judgment."

 

Mario's nearly threw the phone. "What did you do Agaricus?"

 

"It's not anything I did, it's what you didn't do."

 

"You don't know what you're up against."

 

"The council has made a unanimous agreement to supersede your power. By their order, you are to return. Rook has agreed to send his son to continue in your stead. He will be there to retrieve the prisoners, as well as the captain and lieutenant."

 

"Agaricus-"

 

"End of discussion."

 

The line was silent save for the former king's heavy breathing.

 

"I know this is about your pride, but face the facts. You're getting older," Agaricus tone shifted to that of a wise sage, "a trial we mortals are doomed to face."

 

Mario bit his tongue. He stared at his travelworn shoes, his joints ached, he stroked his mustache and imagined feeling the spritzes of silver hair. "Maybe you're right."

 

"Of course, Mario, but there is no shame in admitting this. Knowing your limitations is the mark of a wise king."

 

"You would know," Mario said, a chipper smile lit his cheeks and he flashed his teeth, "I'll let the others know in advance -- it'll help them ease into the new change, you know?"

 

"Peter should be arriving tomorrow afternoon via the Mushroom Express," Agaricus's voice rattled the receiver, "and Mario, you'd better be on the first train out."

 

"As you wish," Mario wore his cap once more, he drummed his finger on his kneecap, "is this all the good news you wish to share with me?"

 

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you."

 

"Who said anything about sarcasm," Mario forced a chuckle, "but seriously, is that all?"

 

"For now, yes. I'll need a word when you return."

 

"Of course."

 

The line clicked and a long drone buzzed in Mario's ears. Mario dropped the receiver on its dock. He stood from his seat and paced the general's quarters.

 

Dust motes speckled the air where sunlight peeked inward. Paintings of stern Toads -- stern as a one can look at least -- adorned the walls. Mario's boots hit the ground with a thock sound.

 

Maybe Agaricus had a point. Mario's stubborn brain reluctantly conceded that age caught up to him. The hero of the MK failed to defeat half-baked koopa clones.

 

Mario huffed, nonsense! He was Super Mario.

 

He was the man who beat back hordes of Koopa soldiers. He was the man who braved skyward fortresses and tamed the depths of the sea. He was the man that Peach counted on.

 

And he was going to get her back, no matter the cost.

 

X-X-X

 

Fluorescent bulbs cast hatchwork shadows from caged fixtures. The stony hallways were narrow, for members of the Koopa Clan, at least. The air reeked of stagnant must and a light draft lingered on the rock floors.

 

Roy stroked the wall as he walked.

 

A mournful piano tune echoed down the corridor. The sound was scratchy and muffled. It popped, skipped, and resumed in the same beleaguered motion.

 

Roy followed the music. It was a somber tune with a resolute tempo. A familiar tune, one that brought to mind the midnight hour and his brother's late night practice sessions.

 

Ludwig and that damn piano. There was a time when all Ludwig could talk about was long dead composers from a land he never knew. Strange people with funny names like 'Bock' and 'Show-pan.'

 

But one name alone stirred the pot in unthinkable ways.

 

Roy scarcely remembered the finer details of the day. Mom wasn't there, so he reckoned it was summer. Bowser brought the boys on a trip to the Pipeland market to pick through Otherside salvage. It was business for Bowser, but for the boys, it meant one thing:

 

New junk!

 

They spent hours in the crowded Pipeland Markets. Vendors peddled salvaged goods that they couldn't sell to museums, others manned food stalls to capitalize on the hungry workers that retrieved the goods.

 

Clubbas that migrated to the region towered over the boys and toiled in the underground. They hauled loads of Pipeland's most curious export or manned shops as security detail.

 

"You can each pick one thing, alright? Any more and your mother will kill me." Bowser told the boys.

 

Lemmy and Roy helped each other scrounge for toys, but Ludwig's tastes were drawn elsewhere. Roy lost track of his older brother a few minutes, invested in a plastic gun that beeped and flashed colors. It made sounds like a death rattle and disturbed more than entranced.

 

Soon, the eldest brother bounded to his younger siblings with a record sleeve in hand. His eyes brimmed with light and his entire countenance bouncing.

 

"Roy, Roy, look," Luddy pointed at the sleeve. A stern human portrait glared at the world. He looked as if someone took the last doughnut.

 

"What about it?"

 

"It's got my name on it!" The eldest child gently traced the faded text with his claw. Sure enough, there was an 'udwig' and the last name was in bold white.

 

"Bee...thoven..." Roy sounded the name out loud, "what kinda name is that?"

 

"The shopkeep says it's pronounced 'Bay-toe-van,' stupid," Ludwig snorted, "but that's not important. He has my first name! Ludwig."

 

"Hey, he even sorta looks like you," Lemmy chimed, a goofy grin on his lips.

 

"It's, uh, one of those omen thingies Kamek talks about, or something," Ludwig held worn record sleeve like it was made of solid gold.

 

"An omen?" Lemmy cocked his head.

 

"A sign from the Stars themselves that I need to have this thing." Ludwig opened the sleeve and gingerly eased the vinyl record from the safety of its confines.

 

"Wow," Lemmy whispered, "star signs, that sounds important."

 

"Pfft doesn't look like much to me," Roy scowled at the black disc.

 

"There's music in this thing, and the shopkeep says I need a special machine to hear the music," Ludwig mumbled.

 

"But dad said we can only get one thing," Roy was quick on the draw. Toys his brothers bought were toys he got to eventually play with when the novelty wore off. He wasn't getting any mileage from some weird plastic disc. Outside of throwing it, perhaps.

 

"I know, I know, but maybe I can make a deal with him or something."

 

Ludwig followed the other boys as they finalized their decisions. Lemmy held a small cube, its six faces a chaotic disarray of mismatched colors. He fiddled with it, cranking it and twisting it, only to make an even bigger mess of it.

 

Not the coolest trinket ever. Not even a cool trinket, to begin with, but it was fun to watch Lemmy's tortured expression as he fought the cube.

 

Roy swung a plastic sword at imaginary foes. The 'blade' was painted chrome and bounced the sheen of the noontime sun. The weight of the handle felt loose on his wrists and it 'whooshed' when he sliced the air hard enough.

 

When they approached Bowser, Ludwig assumed the best posture he could muster.

 

"King dad," he said, his blue eyes round and dewy, "can I get one more thing."

 

Bowser sighed, "no, Luddy. You heard the rules."

 

"But I need a music player to listen to the music," Ludwig waved the record, "and look it has my name on it and everything."

 

"Ludwig, I said no," Bowser said, his voice straddled the edge of anger.

 

Ludwig knew better than to push his father, all of the boys knew better. He loosed a forlorn sigh and tucked the sleeve beneath his arm. "Alright, dad."

 

It was for the better. Roy would take Ludwig to find a replacement to cheer him up and make sure it wasn't some lame black disk.

 

Lemmy, on the other hand, had another solution in mind, "I can get the music thingy."

 

The other three Koopas turned to Lemmy.

 

"You're sure?" Bowser was incredulous, his brow contorted and his fiery hair stood on end.

 

"This dumb square is giving me a headache," Lemmy's looser eye spun in its socket, "besides, it's his omen from the Stars."

 

Bowser glared at Ludwig, "Luddy, what have you been telling your brothers?"

 

"It was from Kamek's class," Lemmy swooped in with the save, "and omens are important." He said it with such conviction that even Roy was inclined to believe him.

 

"Suit yourself, kiddo." Sure enough, the incumbent king dropped a pile of glittering coins on the shopkeeper's counter. He carried the hefty turntable while Ludwig eyeballed it anxiously.

 

Roy remembered the tracks probably about as well as Ludwig did. His older brother played it at bedtime, during schoolwork, during evening chores. He hummed the tunes to himself while they played their games and during Kamek's lectures.

 

Even as days turned to years, and the child had grown, Ludwig was much the same when he stepped into the nearly vacant sickbay. Roy could hear soft humming and the sound of a pen scritching a paper pad. Noontime sun-trails trickled through the window and spread long on the floor.

 

Ludwig sat in the bed, his back propped up by a pile of pillows and the blankets were piled at his feet. Notepads lay supine, their pages flapped in the breeze of a ceiling mounted fan. His nose obscured by a book entitled 'Toadstool Historia.'

 

The record needle skipped and there was the hushed static whisper of the turntable.

 

Ludwig peeked over the top of his book and groaned.

 

"Relax, I've got it," Roy said.

 

Ludwig gasped and turned to the door, "oh it's you, didn't hear you walk in." His voice was airy and craggy, not yet settled from the scorching his vocal cords received.

 

"Told ya you're going deaf," Roy smirked and flipped the disk to its b-side. He placed the needle and an orchestral piece played. Ode to Joy, or something to that effect. He flicked the volume knob a few ticks left.

 

"It helps drown my," Ludwig coughed, "'other,' thoughts."

 

Roy stood beside Ludwig's bed and inspected the notebooks. His older brother's scraggly handwriting filled the miniature volumes left to right. "You've been busy," Roy picked up a book and thumbed the pages. A traced map of the desert province took up a whole page.

 

Ludwig laid the book on the bed and straightened his eye patch, "figured I'd make use of this recovery time doing something productive." He reached for a steaming mug of red liquid. It reeked of pine sap and speckled chunks of mushroom floated to the top. He took a sip, his forehead squinched and he gagged.

 

Roy squinted to better read the handwriting, "what exactly is all this?"

 

"Research. All this time on my backside has given me a chance to reflect." Ludwig flipped open the book once more and turned the pages to an illustration. It was a vast landscape overrun by pipes. A complex knot of green, red, and yellow.

 

Roy arched his brow and leaned closer to look at the picture.

 

"Bowser sent me to the Pipelands years back with the intention that I measure the immeasurable,'" Ludwig scoffed, "I'd have better luck carving his face in the Stonekeepers with a toothpick than mapping that pipe network, but how could I pass up the chance at a real life archaeological expedition?"

 

"Please tell me you found us a shortcut home."

 

Ludwig frowned, "in a sense, yes," he thumbed a few pages inward and stopped on a page, "there's this old folktale about Kings that could 'reign by the power of the wind' using the 'voice of the Stars.' Which may have been more truth than myth you see..."

 

"Stars, Ludwig, does every answer have to be a lecture?"

 

"I'm getting there, patience, patience," Ludwig waved his hand, "the 'voice of the Stars' they refer to is an artifact that was once housed in the bowels of the pipe network."

 

"And you want to go and find it? Luddy, hate to burst your bubble, but Pipeland is in the wrong frickin' direction," Roy hiked a thumb over his shoulder and shook his head.

 

"I said 'once housed,' Ludwig sighed, "we found the chamber that once housed it and it was ransacked for all its valuables. Someone beat us to it the better part of a century ago."

 

Ludwig opened his notebook and pointed to a crude illustration of a curved sword, "I thought that was it, but upon further examination of the site, I found a sword that looks like this...pardon the rendering, I'm no artist."

 

"That's one of those desert swords, a, uh, a scimitar," he drew a quick breath through his nostrils.

 

Ludwig, enraptured by his own bookwork, continued, "exactly, but Bowser, in his infinite wisdom, decided I stay stationed in the Pipelands. As for my research on that whole 'voice of the stars' thing...Bowser unloaded the work onto someone else."

 

"Yeah?" Roy crossed his arms. "Well, maybe we should leave it at that. This is a distraction."

 

"You don't get it," Ludwig slammed the book shut, "the 'voice' is only one artifact of many. All of which stolen by the Hari empire way back when. These are Star-powered artifacts of the highest caliber, Roy."

 

"And getting lost on a treasure hunt in the desert isn't going to do us favors," Roy snapped, "I know you're trying to help, but stop. Enough schemes, enough plans, enough whatever. Going from point A to point B got Mario a seat on the throne, maybe it'll do us some good to play it simple."

 

Ludwig glared, his good eye pensive, he stared through Roy.

 

"It's a distraction, Ludwig, the last thing we need."

 

"Perhaps you should leave," Ludwig unfolded his notebook.

 

"Not yet."

 

Ludwig grumbled and glanced at the blank sheet of paper.

 

"Mario's holding a briefing, he wanted to make sure you could attend."

 

The elder koopaling swept Roy back with his hand, "yeah, yeah, I'll be there."

 

"And if you know what's good for us, keep these lofty plans to yourself. Mario's probably crazy enough to drag us on the chase."

 

Ludwig was silent. His face overcome with concentration. Roy knew the look, he would have better luck shouting down a brick wall at this point.

 

Roy left without another word.

 

X-X-X

 

Junior paced the fortress courtyard, dust clouds kicked up around his ankles. The air tasted of salt. The wind whipped his hair; a sturdy metal clasp gathered it into a ponytail. He itched the spaces between the scales and picked sand granules.

 

He scrutinized the guards on the ramparts. Years of peace had softened the Mushroom Kingdom. Well, softened it more than usual.

 

Guards of all colors swarmed the ramparts. They wore hand-me-down armor adorned in scratches. A militia hastily cobbled together like the re-purposed farm implements they carried as weapons.

 

This was their first line of defense? Junior shook his head. At least the officers wore respectable gear. Ivory tinted armor, polished as the day they were forged.

 

His thoughts turned to home. His father would not settle for such ramshackle fortifications. The Koopa clan had always been an industrious people, at least that was the yarn Kamek spun.

 

"Your ancestors made a home in a volcanic wasteland. Let's see those Mushroom Kingdom pansies do that."

 

The thought of Kamek sent Junior's mind racing. Would there still be a home across the border?

 

The prince's lips curled downward and he made for the fortress proper. Inside was cramped. Everything these damn toads built was cramped. He wanted to scream.

 

He wandered and his thoughts wandered with him. Inevitably he thought of Ludwig and Larry's clones. They looked like imperfect sculptures that needed more time baking in a kiln. Misshapen in personality and appearance. And yet, there was an unsettling honestly about them.

 

Cheatsy said things without an air of concern. He would insult you in your face, he was pragmatic in his dealings with his fellows, always concerned about the bottom line.

 

Larry was nothing like that...outwardly. Junior's gut twisted. Cheatsy mentioned being in Larry's head once. Could that be true?

 

And if that was true of Larry, what about Ludwig?

 

Junior's bones ached. The big doofus that was Ludwig's clone seemed harmless enough. Until he saw Junior. A change overcame him, a spark met a powder keg. He fought like an animal and if no one stopped him, would have killed Junior outright.

 

Did Ludwig really hate him that much? The blood left Junior's cheeks. "What did I ever do to him?" Junior whispered.

 

His face twisted into a pained frown. Ludwig still saved him, that was important to remember. If Ludwig really wanted him dead he would have done nothing.

 

Junior came to a T-junction in the hallway and his mind was set on going left.

 

"It's the other way."

 

Junior's legs felt like bags of sand. His head hurt. He turned and saw Ludwig.

 

His blue-maned older brother propped himself on the wall. He drew a few quivering breaths and stood on his own accord. Each step was a lurch, his shell weighed on his back like a tumor. A bundle of papers and books were saddled beneath his left arm.

 

"What?"

 

"The briefing. It's down the other hall." He said it like it meant something.

 

"Nobody said anything about a briefing."

 

"Didn't Roy tell you?" Ludwig slid past his brother and shuffled right.

 

"I haven't seen Roy all day."

 

"Typical," Ludwig mumbled, "come on then."

 

Junior wanted to walk the opposite direction. He wanted to put his back to his brother. He wanted to forget he said anything and keep wandering until his legs stopped working.

 

The young heir flicked his tail and started behind Ludwig.

 

"Er, how are you feeling?" Junior tried his best to make small talk. Lest his bothersome thoughts intrude once more.

 

"Alive and hating it," Ludwig scratched his stomach, "but other than that, I'm grand."

 

Junior's eyes fell on the books Ludwig carried. "What's all that?"

 

"Notes for the briefing," Ludwig mumbled.

 

"Notes?"

 

"Was I somehow unclear?"

 

Junior scowled, "why are you such a jerk?"

 

Ludwig shook his head and eased his pace forward. His right knee collapsed, his notes dropped to the floor. A blizzard of papers lined the ground. He spat and coughed. He clasped his palm over his eye-patch like he was plugging a hole.

 

"Ludwig?" Junior hoped he sounded cool and unconcerned.

 

Ludwig sputtered, "m'fine," and wiped his lips on his forearm. He scooped up a few nearby papers and tried to make sense of the mess.

 

Ratty scribbles marred the pages. Junior's eyes narrowed to fine slits as he tried to decipher his brother's hasty penmanship. "Maybe you should sit this out."

 

"I'm fine," Ludwig stood again, his knees clicked. A breathy growl in his throat. The color left his cheeks. "Medicine is wearing off."

 

Junior reached for a few papers and stacked them in a neat pile. He was unsure of their order or their importance, but he stacked them just the same. Ludwig made no moves to correct him.

 

He mumbled a sheepish "thank you" and continued his awkward gait.

 

"So, uh," Junior rubbed the back of his head, the scant stubble on the nape of his neck was growing in again and prickled his fingertips. His resolve melted like ice cream on hot pavement.

 

Ludwig's face betrayed no emotion. His eyelid sagged like the rest of him.

 

Now or never, Junior, spit it out. He gathered his courage and spoke: "why did you save me?"

 

Ludwig's brow twisted. "Save you?"

 

"Before your, well," Junior cleared his throat, "you know, you died."

 

"I didn't die." Ludwig rolled his eye. "And I'm offended you'd even ask. Bowser would skin me if he found out I abandoned his son."

 

"But if my dad," Junior bit his tongue, the sentence twisted in his mind, "no, you know what. If dad wasn't around, you wouldn't lift a finger."

 

Ludwig's jaw tightened, "what are you on about?"

 

"Ah, there you go, you hesitated," Junior pointed up at Ludwig, "that clone wanted me dead. Really wanted me dead. I bet you do too. The only reason you saved me was to save your own hide."

 

"Junior..."

 

"I've gotten on better with a toad than I have ever gotten on with you. A toad! See anything wrong with that picture?"

 

Ludwig may have said something, but the roar in his voice drowned any semblance of decent speech.

 

Junior shirked and he felt infinitely smaller. His brain begged him to run, but his legs remained firm. He covered his mouth with both hands.

 

"You ruined my life, you know that?" Ludwig's voice turned to a seething boil. "Everything made sense before you came along. There weren't stupid schemes to kidnap princesses, there wasn't all this war and fighting, we were a family before you happened, do you understand?"

 

Junior bobbed his head up and down if only to appease the metaphorical dragon he nudged awake. He felt pathetic and there was anger in his soul. He wanted to vent it, to shout and gnash teeth, but try as he might he was too weak to summon it.

 

"If I wrecked your life so much," Bowser Junior whimpered, "then why keep me around?"

 

Ludwig's nostrils flared. The wall of anger had subsided, if only an inch. "Because mom loved you, too."

 

X-X-X

 

Water dripped from a leaky pipe and struck the ground like a mad drummer. Cheatsy covered his ears, but he could feel it inside him. His eyes twitched.

 

A pair of toad guards sat at a round wooden table. The left one had orange spots on his cap, the other had blue. An oil lamp cut the imposing darkness of the dungeon. The one on the right dunked a bit of bread in a bowl of stew. A glittering key dangled from a chain on his neck.

 

Cheatsy pushed off the ground and sat tailor-wise on the floor. The damp straw bedding protruded from his wild mop of hair. He smacked his lips and picked straw from his hair and his eyes narrowed.

 

"So, do I get dinner, or..."

 

The guards elected to ignore him. One huffed and put his back to the mock-koopaling. Cheatsy scrunched his muzzle, he fed his arms through the bars.

 

"Yo, I'm in here. Awake. Hungry too." He raised his voice. "This is inhumane."

 

"We fed you two hours ago." The one on the right mumbled. The other guard hit his shoulder.

 

"That's a hundred and twenty minutes ago. I'm a growing teen. I need sustenance."

 

"Ignore him." Guard number two hissed.

 

"Your mom ignores you." Cheatsy grinned.

 

"Doesn't even make sense," guard number one shook his head.

 

"Your mom doesn't make sense."

 

The guard threw his bowl of hot stew at Cheatsy. The broth splashed his face and singed his skin. He yelped, his hands rubbed his eyes clean of beef bullion and he picked a carrot from his hair.

 

Cheatsy took the empty bowl and threw it at the guard's head.

 

Bluecap exhaled, "alright you wanna fight? We can fight." He grabbed a spear that was propped up on the wall and he marched toward Cheatsy.

 

Guard two grabbed his compatriot's arm, "he's not worth it."

 

Guard one yanked his arm free and shoved the spear between the bars.

 

Cheatsy sidestepped, grabbed the spear by the shaft and threw his weight backward.

 

The hapless guard smashed his face against the bars and he cried out. Cheatsy crawled on the floor, claws raking for the key. His tongue lolled to the side.

 

Guard two stamped Cheatsy's groping arm. The mock-koopaling yowled and retreated. He rubbed the offended limb, his brow pooched into a scowl. Guard two pulled his friend to safety.

 

"I told you to ignore him."

 

Guard one mumbled, he blinked away the pain. They moved back to their seat and spoke in hushed voices.

 

Cheatsy laid on his stomach and rested his chin on his crossed forearms. His tail swayed lazily. Guard two glared at him. Cheatsy pointed a finger gun at him and whispered, " bang."

 

Guard two spit in Cheatsy's direction.

 

X-X-X

 

They gathered in the cramped war-room. A rectangular wooden table covered the length of the table. It's legs thick as tree trunks. Mario sat at the furthest end, Luigi to his right and Daisy at his left.

 

Larry entered the room cautiously, his hands rested on his thighs. The dim lightning cast yellow chiaroscuro on his face. He slicked back his mohawk and made way for a seat.

 

Rocky and Konrad occupied a pair of chairs nearest Larry. Konrad thumbed through a book, the gilded lettering on the spine twinkled. Rocky would speak and Konrad would nod, disinterested.

 

Minerva and Vine occupied seats next to one another. Her attention focused on a distant point, her lips pulled tautly. Larry could have mistaken her for a statue.

 

The koopaling pulled cushioned chair beside Rocky. The seat creaked as he eased his weight onto the cushion. He fed his tail through the gap between the back of the chair and the seat.

 

His brothers were fashionably late, as usual. He hated being the first koopaling in the room. The others looked in his direction and he prayed they would not speak to him.

 

"Where's your brother?" Vine said the corners of his lips tucked downward.

 

"Which one?" Larry mumbled.

 

"Junior."

 

Larry shrugged. His brother wanted to be alone ever since the failed attack on the Maelstrom.

 

Vine humphed, his eyes fell, "you'll probably call me crazy, but I kinda worry for him."

 

Larry cocked his head.

 

"Last I saw he was wandering around, keeping to himself, wouldn't even talk to me," Vine said.

 

None of the brothers really interacted with one another until Ludwig woke up, and Junior never turned up to wish the eldest koopaling well. Junior would never admit it, but Larry knew the youngest brother was afraid.

 

"It's been a long week, he's probably reeling from that," Larry laid his elbow on the table.

 

Roy entered the room next. Stern-browed and grumbling. He took a single glance at the chairs and decided in that moment he would opt to stand. He folded his arms and leaned against a wall.

 

What's eating him? Larry turned toward Roy. He shrunk in his seat and his toes curled. The atmosphere was suffocating.

 

"Well?" Mario said loud enough for the room to hear.

 

"He said he'd be here," Roy said cooly. He itched the earthy brown stubble on his head. It was the most hair Larry had seen him grow in years.

 

Mario loosed a hissing exhale through his nostrils and he tapped his fingers on the sturdy tabletop. All at once the room fell silent.

 

"Did somebody die? What's with everyone?" Rocky said. He offered a nervous laugh that no one reciprocated.

 

"You did tell him this was urgent, right?" Mario said.

 

"He's on his way, and if he isn't I'll smack him myself."

 

"Smack who?" Ludwig pushed the door open.

 

Junior slipped into the room behind Ludwig. His head bowed, eyes puffy and red. Larry untucked a neighboring seat for his younger brother. The koopa heir walked to the opposite end of the table and sat beside Vine. He laid his head in his arms.

 

Larry licked the back of his teeth and he shoved the seat back into place. Blood rushed to his cheeks, for a moment he was jealous. He bit back on his annoyance and instead looked at Ludwig.

 

Like Roy, he was much too large for any of the meager seating offered by the MK. He limped his way toward an occupied section near Mario's end and organized his papers on the tabletop.

 

He looked wild, his hair askew in all directions and his good eye trembled. The fur on his muzzle was in an awkward transitioning point, no longer stubble, but too scraggly to be considered a beard. He reached under the eyepatch and scratched the offended flesh.

 

"That's everyone." Mario clapped and closed his eyes.

 

"Except Cheatsy," Larry mumbled bitterly.

 

Either no one heard him, or he was ignored. Mario continued with business. "Thank you all for coming. It's been a rough week." Mario laid his cap on the table.

 

"Rough? This is like every vacation we go on," Luigi counted on his fingers, "Rogue Port, Delfino, The Yoshi Isles -- ow."

 

Daisy kicked Luigi beneath the table, "shush."

 

Mario cleared his throat and resumed. "I've got good news and bad news. Well, it's more like bad news and worse news. It's come to my attention that a certain weapon of mass destruction has fallen into the hands of the enemy."

 

Minerva grunted. Her face underwent a bizarre transformation. Larry could only describe it as a pain of the soul.

 

Vine raised his hand, "what's one sword going to do?"

 

"Anyone who is cut by the blade is doomed to die," Mario said, "and that's not superstition. I've seen it work."

 

Vine's hand lowered.

 

"Is that the bad news or worse news?" Luigi mumbled.

 

Mario sniffled, his mustache twitched. He drew a long breath. "I have been informed that effective today, I am no longer in charge of this mission."

 

Chairs scratched the floor. Luigi straightened in his seat, his hat tumbled from his head and he fumbled to catch it. Larry watched his brothers for their reactions, the older two stewed in uneasy silence. Roy adjusted his glasses.

 

"Whoa, whoa," Junior sat up straight, "if I was you, I'd tell him to shove it."

 

"I've told you before, I can't," Mario looked left to right, the other koopalings were rapt, "when Peach and I took the throne, I got it in my head that the monarchy should have its powers limited. Agaricus was...reluctant, but he agreed to an appointed council that could act as the ruling monarch should the current ones be in trouble."

 

"Why would you do something stupid like that?"

 

"Because I don't like this whole kings and queens nonsense, never sat all that well with me," Mario pulled his gloves tighter down his wrist and he shook his head.

 

"So, what about us? What about Peach?" Roy stepped closer to the table, he leaned and propped his upper body with his palms.

 

"Officially?" Mario clasped his fingers. "I'm supposed to pass the job onto my cousin-in-law. A guy named Peter. You might have seen him when you crashed my son's birthday party."

 

Roy's muzzle scrunched.

 

"I don't know what that means for you." Mario dragged his palm over his lips and sighed.

 

A pit sunk in Larry's gut, "they're gonna chain us up, aren't they?"

 

Mario glared out at Minerva, "I think Agaricus has other plans for you kids. Minerva, might you explain to us why you brought Kingsbane."

 

The captain's eyes narrowed into tight slits, she scooted forward and propped her elbows on the table. Her hands clasped.

 

"You say it or I'll say it."

 

"Agaricus ordered me to use the sword to end the Koopa family line, once we retrieved her majesty, of course," Minerva said. Her shoulders tensed.

 

Vine swiveled in his seat and his eyes welled with hurt, "what? When did you plan on telling me this?"

 

"Do not forget your rank, Lieutenant," Minerva whispered.

 

"You dirty piece of..." Roy stomped toward Minerva. Rows of sharp teeth bared. He raised a clawed hand to strike.

 

Minerva jumped back and drew her sword.

 

"Knock it off," Ludwig grabbed Roy and yanked him back, "this is not the place nor the time."

 

"The hell it isn't," Roy threw his brother's arms back and Ludwig stumbled.

 

"And after you're disemboweled the captain of the Queensguard, you plan on fighting off an entire fortress bent on taking your head?" Ludwig growled.

 

Roy paused. His arms swung to his side, "this isn't over." He jabbed a claw in her direction.

 

"I'm counting on it." She sheathed her sword.

 

The koopalings returned to their places in the room. Roy mumbled, his knuckles whitened and he pounded the stone wall. Ludwig shook his head and sorted through his notes.

 

"So Super Mario himself has finally met his match," Ludwig said, his roughened voice scratched and gurgled and he coughed into his fist, "a wheel-chair bound king and a council of toads. If only I knew this years ago."

 

Mario was taken aback at first, "you honestly think I'm rolling over? I didn't call you here just to deliver bad news."

 

Daisy clapped her hands, "that's the spirit!"

 

"But...that's treason, and Daisy you aren't from here," Luigi put his hand on her shoulder, "what happens if we get caught? What happens to your kingdom?"

 

"No offense hon, but grow a spine," Daisy crossed one leg over the other and she laid her hands in her lap, "he's worked to save the MK and Sarassaland more times than I can count, and these people still don't trust Mario. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Bowser's kid, tell 'em to shove it."

 

Luigi retracted his hand. The green-clad plumber adjusted his hat, "Mario, maybe we should play it a little smarter this time..."

 

"I concur," Ludwig spoke up, he fished through his notes, "she's got the sword, hostages, and who knows what else is up her sleeve. We need an advantage."

 

"Ludwig, don't you dare..." Roy clenched his teeth.

 

"There's a powerful artifact right under our nose," Ludwig sounded excited, a fact that both bothered and amused Larry, "five of them, according to the accounts in the book."

 

Mario chuckled and pinched his mustache, "that old fairytale? Ludwig, I think you still might be addled."

 

"Hold on, I'm not finished," Ludwig arranged his notes, assembling the pieces his a puzzle. A map of the Koophari province spread on the table, "years before us Koopas made our mark on the map, you humans were busy killing each other."

"It's a long, long, story, and every side tells it differently, but I will try my best to narrow it down..."

 

Ludwig cleared his throat and squinted at page closest to him.

 

"There were seven kingdoms for each Star-Spirit that reigned in low-haven. They lived in harmony and obeyed the laws of the Stars. The seven kings were bequeathed seven gifts from High Haven."

"However, one kingdom grew greedy. The desert kingdom of Hari. They wanted all of the gifts for themselves. So they took their newfound power and they staged an offensive. One by one, four of the seven were killed off. All that remained was the Toadstool family and the Snowcap family. They united houses and fought back."

 

"Hari was conquered, it's people assimilated, the works," Ludwig cranked his wrist, "but the books weren't keen to mention what ever happened to those five other treasures. The Hari kingdom may have destroyed them before they were conquered, but I'm not convinced. According to the history books, their old headquarters were here..."

 

Ludwig pointed to his makeshift map, a thick red circle marked a patch of desert. A graphite star marked a nearby settlement labeled "Lapiston." Mario inspected the map, his chin tucked own and his eyes wide.

 

"It took a lot of book work, but Mushroom Historia states what became the mining settlement of 'Lapiston' was once the capital of the Hari Empire, but the place wasn't on any modern map, so I had to do some digging."

 

Mario looked up from the map and cocked his head, "of course it isn't on any modern map. It hasn't been for ten years."

 

"Why would an entire settlement be taken off the map?"

 

"You're serious."

 

Ludwig blinked twice.

 

"Your father had it razed to the ground," Mario's eyes narrowed, "Roy was there."

 

Ludwig's nostrils twitched. He peered over his shoulder at his younger brother. Roy hid his face and stepped back.

 

"That's what Bowser did with my research," Ludwig snapped, "the bastard sent you instead? And why not tell me you wiped an entire town off a map?"

 

"It's not there Ludwig," Roy puffed his chest, he tried to look bigger, "trust me."

 

"It helps if you don't burn an entire city down," Ludwig sorted his papers, "and I'm certain that you were looking in the wrong place. You never had the sort of patience required for good archaeology work-"

 

"Oh, and you do? With your stupid 'fossils' and caves."

 

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Mario raised his voice. "Ludwig, I appreciate the help, but this is just a wild goose chase."

 

"What other options do we have?" Ludwig's tone grew exasperated. "We stay here, Agaricus is going to have me and my brothers executed. We chase down Amanita, she'll cut us all down with that sword...or worse yet, cut down hostages."

 

Mario frowned.

 

"We have too much to lose, we need any and every advantage." Ludwig paced the table, his hands at his sides, he clenched his fists, "how about this then, you said you don't like the monarchy. Let's try a democracy. We'll put it to a vote."

 

"Ludwig, not this again," Roy held his hand out to grab Ludwig.

 

The eldest koopaling smacked it away. "It's only fair."

 

"Fine." Mario glanced at his posse. "We'll go around the room, one by one. Either we take the Darklands by storm, or we piddle around in the desert in search of buried treasure."

 

"I'm with Mario on this," Roy was first. He slammed his hands on the table for emphasis. He glared at Ludwig.

 

"Larry?" Ludwig asked, expectantly.

 

Larry rubbed his temples and tapped his foot. A stuttering whisper slipped his lip. "Ludwig, you're still sick. I think Mario is right."

 

Ludwig's good eye was wet. He shook his head, his hair bouncing as he did so. He looked at Konrad.

 

"With all due respect, captain, I think it's best that we regroup with our allies in the Darklands as fast as possible," Konrad raised his hand, "I'm with Mario."

 

"Kon!" Rocky gasped. "You can't be serious? You saw how that mutiny on the boat. What if we don't have allies anymore? I'm with you captain, we need weapons."

 

Minerva stared hard at Mario, then Ludwig, "the Koopas outclass us in weaponry and tech, it is only their weak stratagem by which they fall. If the Mole is correct, and this clone can rouse the Darkland tribes against Bowser, the MK will burn like Lapiston. Those artifacts will give us a fighting chance."

 

Vine smirked, "color me persuaded. I was totally with Mario at first. I'm with the fat one, er, the fatter one."

 

Mario and Ludwig glared.

 

Junior's response required no thought, it was on his lips the moment a plan was proposed, "I'm with Mario."

 

Vine whistled, "wow, we're all full of surprises today."

 

Junior slumped in his seat, he squeezed his kneecaps and his bottom lip curled inward.

 

Daisy sighed, "I hate this, I really do," she looked up at Ludwig, "but the big guy here has a point."

 

"Why'd you have to go and do that, love," Luigi pulled his cap over his eyes and tucked his legs to his chest.

 

"It's all on you bro," Mario grabbed Luigi's arm and shook him, "four for him, four for me. What's it gonna be?"

 

"Santo Cielo," Luigi peeked from beneath the brim of his hat, "I don't agree with either of you. No one's convincing me to be a felon. I wanna go home."

 

Daisy's eyes softened, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, "Luigi, this is important. Peach needs all of us. You heard Minerva, what if things go from bad to worse?"

 

He looked at Mario, his mustache obscured his lips and his nose twitched.

 

"You're really gonna make me do this?" Luigi said.

 

"I'm not making you do anything."

 

Luigi drew a long breath. The other's leaned closer to hear him better. "I'd do anything in the world for you, I promised mama I would keep you outta trouble."

 

"Then that settles it."

 

"Let me finish, you never let me finish," Luigi's shaky voice raised, "this is bigger than Peach, Bowser, or you. W-w-what if the clone does kill Bowser? She's gonna head for the MK next, and she won't stop. We aren't strong enough for this by ourselves."

 

"Luigi..." Mario's face flattened into a grimace.

 

"I'm with Ludwig on this." Luigi dropped his hat on the table and covered his face.

 

The weight of nine stares fell on Ludwig's shoulders. His body shuddered, he almost couldn't believe it.

 

"Fair is fair," Mario drooped in his seat, "we set off for Lapiston come nightfall. Gather your things and meet at the southern gate. A minute late, and you'll be left behind."

 

"Question," Luigi raised his index finger.

 

Mario stared hard at his brother and his lips tightened.

 

"How exactly are we getting out of the fort undetected? There are guards everywhere."

 

"Leave that to me," Mario hooked his thumbs behind his coveralls, "I need to call in a favor."

 

 

X-X-X

Ludwig peeked over his shoulder and he descended the long dark. Pipes moaned as they pumped water from the mountains, aching like the valves of a dying heart. He ducked, careful not to bump his head on the exposed piping.

 

 

Cool water enveloped his foot and he retracted his toes from a puddle. His eyes narrowed. "Dammit," he shook the water from his foot and stepped around as deep puddle. Water drizzled from the ceiling and trickled through his hair.

 

There were leaks in the piping. "Isn't Mario a plumber?" He grunted.

 

Thick plaster bricks sealed old cells. Ludwig knocked on the material and a hollow 'toom' echoed beyond. He shivered, half imagining what it was like the spend a sentence in the old Stonekeeper fort.

 

Rank mildew smells lingered in the air, he covered his nose and grunted.

 

Further and further. Despite his species' gracious light sensitivity, it was still barely enough to help him navigate the cavernous dark.

 

He listened for voices. Anything that might clue him in on his destination. He glanced over his shoulder, half expecting a platoon of guards ready to lock him away forever.

 

"You're an idiot," Ludwig whispered, "this is a terrible idea."

 

His voice echoed a short distance, affirming his idiocy on repeat. He shook water from his hair.

 

Light spilled from an arched doorway and cut a curved hole in the shadows. Ludwig held his breath. He stepped lighter now, light as he could at least. His ponderous feet made a 'plith-plath' sound in the puddles.

 

"Don't you guys have laws against this sort of thing?" Cheatsy's distinct intonation echoed from the doorway. It was Larry's voice, but there was more bite to it.

 

The guards he spoke to remained silent. Ludwig exhaled slow, he flexed his fingers. He stepped around the corner and saw a pair of guards.

 

A toad with a yellow spotted cap pressed a droopy sack of ice against his face. Condensation glistened on his skin, a patch of purple welt spread around the offended eye socket. A toad with an orange spotted cap was first to notice Ludwig.

 

"Whoa, what're you doing down here?" The guard grabbed his spear and jumped out of his seat.

 

"Relax, I'm only here to check on the clone," Ludwig pointed at Cheatsy.

 

"I'm warning you, get out," he waved the pointed spear in Ludwig's direction. The edged blade feathered outward and fastened to a wooden rod.

 

Ludwig sighed, "he's not one of us, alright? He's a freak accident."

 

"No one that looks like a koopaling is allowed to see the clone," the armed guard moved closer.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Cuz you might be a clone disguised as a koopa," the injured guard said, he dabbed water from his cheek with a square of white cloth.

 

"Mario wants to see him, but he's busy with important work. So important he can't come down himself." Ludwig raised his hand.

 

"Yeah right, and he would send you? Why not Luigi?"

 

"Because Luigi refused to come down here, too dark."

 

The guards looked at each other. The injured one looked convinced, his friend not so much. "All orders to move the prisoner must be signed and verified through the proper channels. You got anything like that?"

 

Ludwig sighed, he stretched the soft front of his shell forward and pulled a folded paper that was tucked into his gamebson vest. The guard lowered his spear and snatched the paper.

 

Both guards scooted close, heads side by side. The orange spotted guard hooked his thumb in the crease of the paper and folded it back. A crude pencil drawing of a curved sword greeted him.

 

Ludwig grabbed their heads and slammed them together. A meaty 'thock' resonated throughout the room. The guards toppled to the ground, clutching at their aching skulls. The spear clattered to the ground.

 

Ludwig kicked it away; he pressed his foot on one of the downed guards and lifted the other by the nape of his shirt. His ice bag struck the floor, the solid chunks shattered inside their package. He swung his fists to no avail.

 

"Blue dude has the key, it's on a chain around his neck," Cheatsy shouted.

 

Ludwig turned the injured guard around and he saw the simple nickel chain fastened around his neck. He yanked the key from the guard's neck, the chain snapped in two.

 

He tossed the key toward Cheasty.

 

It passed through the bars and bounced on the ground with a light tinkling sound. He scooped it and unlocked the door. Cheatsy held the door ajar, he bowed and gestured to the cell.

 

Ludwig threw the guards through the open door and Cheatsy slammed it shut. He twisted the key, his lips curled into a wild grin. He raised a middle-finger salute at the guards and strut from the cell, key in hand.

 

"Now that's what I'm talking about, screw these mushroom dudes and their king," Cheatsy whooped.

 

Ludwig snatched the key from Cheatsy's hand and set it on the wooden table at the corner of the room.

 

"It's not like that," Ludwig frowned, "mostly."

 

"Whatever, I'm glad to be on the opposite end of those bars."

 

"Sorry it took us this long to bust you out," Ludwig mumbled. His eyepatch dangled off center, he hooked his claw under the strap and tugged a few nicks to the left.

 

"Sorry?" Cheatsy cocked his head. "You? You're sorry?"

 

"Even I didn't think it was fair that they locked you up," Ludwig leaned against the wall and stifled a coughing fit.

 

Cheatsy winced at each labored cough. "Er, you alright?"

 

"Do I look alright?"

 

Cheatsy shook his head, his eyes wide.

 

Ludwig drew a deep breath, "relax, I'm trying not to be..." Ludwig scratched his chin fuzz and closed his eyes.

 

"You?" Cheatsy said.

 

"Yeah, that's an apt way of putting it," Ludwig sighed.

 

Cheatsy rubbed the back of his neck and he wore a very 'Larry' expression. One of concern and reservation. For a split second, he almost looked like the real deal, until his eyes flickered colors in the dancing light.

 

"But this isn't all from the goodness of your heart, is it?" Cheatsy paced the larger Koopa. His eyelids squinched.

 

"I'd rather discuss this when we're safe," Ludwig straightened himself and he wiped his lips clean. He motioned for Cheatsy to follow him toward an empty cell.

 

"What's the plan?"

 

Ludwig grabbed Cheatsy's shoulders and forced him to stand straight. He inspected the smaller koopaling from several angles, mumbling his thoughts. Ludwig licked his hands and styled Cheatsy's hair to the best of his ability.

 

"Gah!" Cheatsy kicked Ludwig's shin and shoved him back.

 

"The only way we're getting out of here is if you look the part," Ludwig looked Cheatsy up and down.

 

The smaller one crossed his arms and scoffed, "fine, do your worst."

 

Ludwig paced the room, he stroked his facial hair and mumbled, "something's still off."

 

Cheatsy's bottom lip pooched out and he slouched his torso forward. The fabric of his shell's underbelly bunched into a wrinkled curve.

 

Ludwig clicked his claws, "that's it." He glanced around the room, his eyes darting left to right. He hobbled into an open cell and he scooped up an armful of dry straw.

 

"Unhook your shell," Ludwig said.

 

"No."

 

"Just do it," Ludwig grunted, "we don't have time to argue."

 

Cheatsy obeyed after a moment of hesitation. He unhooked the armor's shoulder straps and he let the shell slide down. Lean forelimbs tensed as the draft of wet air crossed his chest.

 

"Figures," Ludwig held the straw forward like a gift of decency, "you're too gangly."

 

"What of it, tubs?"

 

Ludwig snorted, "pack a layer of straw between you and your shell."

 

Cheatsy grumbled the whole way as he stuffed the looser soft-shell armor with straw. When he fastened the straps, "it itches."

 

"Stand up straight."

 

Cheatsy obeyed, his hands slapped to his side. Sure enough, a faux-paunch jutted. He smoothed the straw packing until there was an even spread.

 

"It'll have to do, maybe we'll fool someone if they're far enough away," Ludwig made way for the door.

 

The wandered the fortress halls, ears trained for patrolling guard. Cheatsy kept close to Ludwig, using the larger Koopa's frame to shield the imperfect disguise.

 

Patrols were looser in the courtyard, most guards occupied towers and the walls. Heavy boots struck the solid stone bricking that composed the ramparts.

 

The sky was sprent with stars now. A loose sliver of sunlight dipped into the twilight horizon. One by one, the Star Roads glistened and they carved visible trails in the firmament.

 

They stopped by the southern gate and saw a procession of covered trucks. Curious inventions of massive size, thick clouds of exhaust belched from mufflers. Idling engines churned.

 

"Hurry, that's our way out," Ludwig said.

 

"What is all this?" Cheatsy hissed.

 

"Big change of plans," Ludwig glanced around the trucks, "Mario's no longer in charge, the former king of mushroom people wants us dead, and my brothers hate me."

 

"Sounds like I missed all the fun stuff."

 

"You have no idea," Ludwig approached a squat nomadimouse.

 

A thick layer of cloth wrapping obscured his face, save for yellow eyes that glowed in the fading light. The creature was minuscule in his presence, barely tall as a toad.

 

"Ah, more cargo," his tail flicked, "and right on time too."

 

"Where's everyone else?" Ludwig said.

 

"All goods are prepared for transport." The mouse nodded. "Come, come, quickly."

 

He led them to one of the larger trucks. The covering was a tarp-like fabric wrapped around a metal frame. A loose curtain of tarp flapped in the wind. The mouse peeled back the makeshift doorway.

 

Tall stacks of crates greeted them. They were held back by a length of cord, the letters 'DDO' marked each box. Ludwig cast an aside glance at the nomadimouse.

 

"Might be a tight fit," Ludwig said.

 

"If you suck in your gut and put your head between your legs, you will fit, trust me," the mouse said, he barely left Ludwig a chance to respond before bursting into laughter, "your face! I wish I had a camera."

 

The mouse crawled onboard and unfastened the cord. He nudged some of the larger crates aside. An even taller stack of crates hid behind them.

 

"So this is your great escape plan, huh?" Cheatsy looked up at Ludwig.

 

"Not mine, Mario's," Ludwig ran his claws through his hair.

 

The mouse knocked on the boxes, a hollow metallic sound rang ou. "Ah, here we are," he reached behind a box and tugged it back. The entire 'stack' opened like a door.

 

Roy, Larry, and Junior waited on the other side.

 

Roy sat with his knees tucked to his chin. A bitter frown on his lips. Junior sat opposite to Roy, he scribbled in a small notebook, his tongue lolled to one side and Ludwig could see the faint construction outlines of a face on the page. Larry hid his face in his forearms, soft snoring rumbled from him.

 

Ludwig climbed into the truck. The walls were lined with beveled sheets of metal. His spiked shell scraped the wall and the screech set the compacted chambers shivering.

 

"Really?" Roy covered his ears.

 

The eldest brother nestled himself in a corner. He crossed his legs and folded his arms.

 

Cheatsy scrutinized the space, he found a bare length of floor to sit and he sighed. "Out of one cage, into another."

 

The nomadimouse shut the false-wall and it slammed with an echoing ring. Ludwig flinched. What little light afforded by the opening was cut off.

 

Electronic components clicked and buzzed, a lone light flickered and illuminated the compact smuggling space.

 

"What's he doing here?" Junior grimaced, he closed the notebook and tucked the pencil in the spiral binding. In the dark, they could see the shape of his muzzle trained in Cheatsy's direction.

 

"I couldn't just leave him there," Ludwig shrugged.

 

"Bullshit," Roy whispered, "you were the one who suggested we leave him behind in the first place." His bulky figure shuffled in the dark and his body angled toward Ludwig.

 

Ludwig chose his words carefully, "Amanita doesn't know he's with us. Like I said at the briefing, we need any and every advantage."

 

"You've always been a terrible liar," Roy's head sagged, "this isn't about Amanita or even the clone."

 

Ludwig said nothing and he let the darkness mask the subtleties in his facial expression. He angled himself away from Roy.

 

Cheatsy was unsure what this meant. He glanced at the brothers and he saw that Larry was awake now. The whites of his sclera glowed.

 

All at once, the mock-koopaling understood. It wasn't a rescue, it was an apology.

 

X-X-X

 

The nomadimice unloaded several crates of supplies, some guards helped but most watched from their posts. The crates burgeoned with cannonshot and gunpowder and several sets of cannon parts. The fortress was girding for a fight.

 

Attacks on the border catapulted the entire militia into a frenzy. Toads from all corners of the Agari plains volunteered to guard the 'way in.' The hustle and bustle and ensuing confusion kept them from asking important questions.

 

Where are the Koopalings? Is Mario still around? Why supply with the DDO Caravan company when they could just ship from someplace on the MK side?

 

Toads were good about not asking questions. The soft-heads avoided conflict in all its forms, lest they contract a serious case of 'self-doubt' and are forced to take real action.

 

A fact that relieved the caravan's leader: a mouse known as Kaspar. He pulled his facemask tight and he checked the 'cargo.' His sensitive ears twitched, low whispers bubbled from within the truck.

 

He knocked twice and the noise died down.

 

A toad in ivory colored armor paced the trucks and he inspected the cargo.

 

"Is that everything?" He said.

 

"Yes," Kaspar bowed, "everything for this stop, at least."

 

"Finally," the guard scratched his chin, "send my regards to the guys stationed at the DDO."

 

"Of course, of course," Kaspar climbed into the front seat of the lead truck, his stubby legs dangled off the seat.

 

"Hey, you haven't seen his majesty, by any chance? He always pitches in with this sort of thing."

 

"What a proactive royal," Kaspar's mask shifted as he grinned, "I am sure he is busy with other things. I heard about that attack last week."

 

The guard nodded solemnly. "Lost some good guys out there."

 

"That is a shame," Kaspar's eyes softened, he knew how it felt to lose friends, "I am surprised that the military hasn't moved."

 

"Buncha' bureaucrats can't figure out what to do. At first, we thought it was Bowser, but now it seems to be a rogue element and they aren't sure who to attack."

 

"Well, I wish you well in your endeavors," Kaspar bowed again, "I must move. We have other stops."

 

"Of course, of course, don't mean to hold you up," the guard patted the truck.

 

As the trucks puttered through the southern gate and hooked eastward, the militia scrambled to sort the cargo. Crews of mechanics pried open crates and began assembling cannons in the courtyard.

 

They had a long night ahead.

 

The fortress shrunk smaller and smaller, overshadowed by its indomitable namesake. Kaspar yanked a lever and the truck shifted gears. He cranked a rusty looking dial and cool air filled the driver's seat. He opened a vent behind his head.

 

"How are you hanging in there, your highness?"

 

Mario's face appeared at the vent, the slats obscured his features. "Better now that we're on the road. They give you any trouble?"

 

"Someone was looking for you, but he didn't push. I fear they will figure out our ruse before the night is done."

 

"We'll be long gone by then," Mario mumbled.

 

Kaspar switched a radio on and tinny music played. A low voice sang in exotic polytone scales. It sounded more a prayer than a song.

 

"Did you bring the Sheek a gift?"

 

"Yup. I have it on the ice." Mario shifted around. "Did all of the Koopalings make it?"

 

"Just barely. The big one was late."

 

"Figures," Mario rubbed his eyes, "almost wish he stayed."

 

Kaspar cocked his head, "I understand you have no love for Bowser's kin, but it is safe to say you are...in the same boat?"

 

"More or less," Mario fanned his face with his cap. The truck jerked as it mounted a dune and ascended it. Mario caught himself before he smacked his face on the vent.

 

Kaspar fiddled with levers and the truck steadied, "in my line of work, friends are people who don't want to kill you. Best not to speak ill of friends."

 

Mario's face disappeared. Kaspar shrugged and closed the vent. He followed the constellations he memorized as child, nocturnal creatures emerged from the sand and traveled the desert in search of water.

 

He hummed and sang the words he recognized as the Stonekeepers became one with the horizon.

 


	11. Ashes to Ashes

###  ****

###  **Chapter 11: Ashes to Ashes**

The shop smelled like a mother's kitchen. Warm vanilla, sharp cinnamon, baked bread. A row of cakes posed behind the glass case like models. One dressed in creamy oak mousse and chocolate shavings sprinkled the crown tier.

Another cake wore decadent frosting that straddled the sides like a gown, and a strawberry sat on a bed icing at the midriff.

Fulcan stared at the cakes. He had skin the color of the badlands. A thin scar marked his bottom lip. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, slouched, and peeked over the counter.

Minerva followed him behind a baker's rack. She peeked between cream puffs and petit fours. Her eyes narrowed.

Minerva shuffled and tripped on her feet.

Fulcan swiveled on his heels, but he was too late.

Minerva pounced and threw her arms around his neck.

"You're home!" Minerva squeezed him.

Fulcan gasped and patted her arm, "-choking."

Minerva released him and stood beside him. Her elbow rested on the glass case. She twisted a stray lock of hair around her forefinger and tousled her bun loose.

Fulcan's cheeks reddened, and the blood flowed up to his neck, and he laughed, "who's the sad sap you've been practicing that choke hold on?"

"The Lentil brothers," Minerva smirked.

Fulcan paced the bakery and its familiar tan wallpaper. Photographs hung from wire threads on the wall. A picture of him and his sister side by side in Toad Town's streets tickled a smile from his lips.

"Where's dad?" Fulcan straightened the picture.

"He went to the market," Minerva said, her voice like a smile, "we were running low on vanilla extract."

Fulcan stood beside Minerva and his eyes and his heart set on a chocolate mousse cake, "if that's all he's getting," an exaggerated sigh puffed his chest, "guess I'll have to buy my homecoming gift."

"I wouldn't," Minerva said.

"Oh? And why not?" Fulcan quirked his brow. She took the bait.

Minerva bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes, "it's supposed to be a surprise."

Fulcan smiled and tapped her shoulder, "a surprise? Details, please."

Minerva rolled her eyes. "I've said too much."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear anything," Fulcan crossed his arms, and he leaned against the wall.

"Yeah right, I-"

A bell chimed.

The front door swung open. Minerva's father stepped inside. He huffed and hauled armfuls of paper bags. They crinkled and warped and shifted.

"What happened?" Minerva said.

"Markets were packed. It was slim pickings, damn tourists," her father set a bottle of vanilla extract on the front counter, and he dabbed the sweat from his brow.

Fulcan cleared his throat and reached to help.

"Thanks," father mumbled. He stopped mid-step.

"Hey dad," Fulcan peeked over the bag.

"I thought you weren't arriving 'til tonight?" Father gasped.

"Ran into a caravan out of the Dry-Dry Province. Some mouse named Sheek showed me a short cut." Fulcan carried the bags around the counter.

"You remembered to check your pockets when you parted ways, right?"

"Not all mice are thieves dad," Fulcan tapped his foot.

"The ones out that way are," Father grunted and he clapped his hands of dust, "especially ones from the Outpost."

"That reminds me," Fulcan placed a ratty paper on the counter and pushed it toward his father, "I might've talked up your lemon delight. Sheek wanted to try some in return for getting me home."

Father grumbled, "I suppose I can repay him for your safety."

Minerva flipped the sign on the door to 'closed.' She skirted toward the kitchen. A pair of toads rinsed dishes and dried plates.

"Store's closed early, boys," Minerva's father said, and he yawned.

The taller toad, Laird Lentil, nodded at Fulcan and spoke, "you sure? We can help run the front counter."

The shorter brother, Masoor, frowned and elbowed the taller one.

"That's quite alright, it's a special occasion, think of it as a holiday," father patted the taller one's shoulder, "don't worry you'll get paid."

Masoor threw off his apron and hung it on a wall hook.

Laird yawned, "alright boss, you open tomorrow?"

"Same time as usual."

The doorbell chimed, and the brothers left.

All that remained was the family. Minerva paced the kitchen island and washed her hands clean of flour at the sink. Her blond bangs tickled her nose.

"How was the capital?" Their father spoke first, his hand on his hip.

"Busy," Fulcan rubbed his eye, "and you were right, all they eat are those stupid mushrooms. Mushrooms in cakes, in stews, in medicine."

"There's a reason they call 'em super 'shrooms." Father set bags on a counter.

Minerva grabbed an armful of carrots. She carried them to the pantry. She palmed the sweat from her temple and loaded carrots in a box.

Fulcan licked his lips. Carrot cake sounded heavenly.

"Did you get to meet Mario?" Minerva's head perked up.

Fulcan sputtered into a chuckle, "got to see him at a distance with the princess, but other than that, no. Castle guards scooped him up for 'official business.' "

"Wonder how he stays sane with all that attention." Minerva shook her head. "I'd have pulled my hair out three days in his position."

"He seems like a nice guy, though," Fulcan shrugged, "greeted everyone like they were his neighbor or something. All smiles and handshakes."

"Sounds like any MK bigwig," Father grunted, and he loaded a cabinet with canned peaches.

"He was different somehow, like, alien almost," Fulcan helped Minerva pour a sack of flour into a jar.

"That's because he's from The Otherside," Minerva scoffed.

"Oh please, that's just propaganda to scare the Koopas," Father grunted, "speaking of which, how did your meeting with the royal court go?"

Fulcan's head lowered and he sighed, "Minerva mentioned you had a surprise for me?"

"Did she?" Father cast her a short glance.

Minerva's shoulders slumped, and she scowled at Fulcan.

Father reached into the icebox and pulled out a tall bottle of sparkling wine. The bottle glimmered like blue topaz and cast bubbling refractions on the counter. He twisted a corkscrew.

"Winterwing," Fulcan whistled, "how'd you get ahold of that?"

Father thumbed the bottle's label, "wasn't easy, but I do have some connections up in Snowcap still. Old war buddy owed me."

Father poured his family a few glasses and a fine tide of bubbles rose to the surface. The drinks hissed, and the family gathered close.

"Welcome home, son." Father tipped the glass in Fulcan's direction.

"Good to be back." He clicked his glass against his father's and downed a sip. He exhaled a cloud of breath.

Minerva tested the drink. It tasted vaguely of raspberries. She swished the fermented ice flower on her tongue. A winter breeze shot down her throat. A shiver traveled her bones, and she enjoyed the respite from the heat.

The front doorbell chimed again. Minerva's father groaned. He set his drink on the counter. "Sign says we're closed."

The Lentil brothers were back in the shop. Laird's chest heaved, his head bowed, he cleared his throat. "Koopas, lots of Koopas," he gasped.

Shadows of soldiers marched in the canvas window. Blades clashed. A hammer smashed the window. City Guards laid out in the streets.

Minerva covered her mouth and stepped back.

"Upstairs," her father whispered, "upstairs, now."

X-X-X

Mario eased his way through the crowd with Minerva in tow. He tightened his facial wrappings.

Kaspar weaved through the outpost crowds.

Mario held a cooler by a red handle. Its contents sloshed. He watched for unwanted attention and followed Kaspar.

"You're certain this is a good idea?" Minerva said.

"This guy and I go way back," Mario patted the cooler.

"This place is a den of thieves," Minerva brushed her sword.

"Stay calm and don't stand out, if you look local they won't touch you, trust me," Mario moved closer to Kaspar.

"It's not me I'm worried about." Minerva said. "You tend to stand out in a crowd, your majesty. Disguise or not."

Kaspar lead them to a long complex of adobe buildings. The buildings towered over Mario and lush gardens burgeoned over the rooftops. Smatterings of green and blue flowers and curly vines cascaded the ledges.

Kaspar lead them to a door at the end of the complex. Another nomadimouse awaited them. A cloak obscured all but his yellow eyes.

"This is the one who called in the favor," Kaspar leaned close, and his nose twitched.

"As if you don't know me," Mario said.

Sheek tilted his head.

"I thought you said-" Minerva started, but Mario raised his finger to his lips.

"C'mon, Moustafa, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Mario put a hand on his hip.

"That is a dangerous name to speak so casually."

Mario lifted a plump lemon from the cooler; its water-slicked dimples glistened.

The nomadimouse's eyes trained on the lemon. Sheek snatched the lemon from Mario's hand and nudged open a nearby door. "Be quick, please."

Mario tailed Sheek up a flight of stairs. He raced past apartment doors. Mario's knees ached.

Sheek dashed from rooftop to rooftop, vaulting every obstacle, clearing every gap. He disappeared inside a dense rooftop garden.

"Follow me, your highness," Kaspar jogged forward, "rumor has it you can put our Tracers to shame," Kaspar approached a rooftop ledge and peeked back at Mario.

Kaspar strolled a few paces back for a running start. He leaped the gap arms first. Kaspar snagged the opposite ledge and mantled up.

Mario rolled his shoulders. He jogged backward a few steps and charged forward. Mario kicked off the ledge. He soared over the gap and landed paces beyond Kaspar.

Kaspar's nose twitched. "Now that's almost unfair."

Minerva leaned over the gap. Her fingers twitched. She leaped forward, arms stretched out, and her fingers missed the opposite ledge.

Mario grabbed Minerva's forearm and dragged her to safety.

"You alright?" Mario said.

Minerva stepped past him and said nothing.

Kaspar ventured through a rooftop garden. Sprinklers misted the plants and soaked his clothes. Kaspar lead them to a rotunda hidden in the garden.

Sheek awaited beside the rotund, his arms tucked behind his back. He drew a dagger from his cloak. The white blade rippled in the midday sun.

Minerva drew her sword and put herself between Mario and Sheek.

Mario yelped and staggered back, his arms flailed, "no, no, Minerva wait."

Sheek cocked his head. He faced the rotunda and inserted the dagger inside a narrow slit. He twisted the hilt.

A door clicked open.

Minerva sheathed her sword. Her stance relaxed.

Once inside, Mario unraveled his wrappings, and he crossed his arms.

"I apologize for being so short with you down there," Sheek cast off his cloak, and he placed the lemon on a tabletop and his eyes trained on Minerva, "I did not mean to alert your bodyguard."

"No, no, I'm sorry, she's just doing her job," Mario held his hands up.

"Don't you fret," he approached Minerva and extended his paw, "a friend of Mario's is a friend of mine."

Minerva shook his hand.

"Such a firm grip!" The mouse chuckled, "Kaspar, they must be parched, please get some drinks."

"Right away." Kaspar shuffled outside and left them alone.

"I am Moustafa," he said to Minerva, "'the king of thieves' if you ask the rabble outside."

Minerva said nothing.

"This is the new captain of the guard," Mario stepped in, "Minerva. She's the, er, strong and silent type."

"Ah, yes," Moustafa grinned, "I can appreciate someone who listens before they speak."

Mario sighed and his shoulders relaxed.

The door creaked open. Kaspar returned with a pitcher of water and a few glasses. Mario took one, and he sipped it gingerly. There was the faintest hint of lemon.

"I need your help again," Mario said.

"Ah, can't it just be for a visit? You never visit unless you need something." Mosutafa downed a gulp of water.

Mario opened his mouth to apologize, but Moustafa laughed.

"Relax, I am only kidding," he sat on a cushion and let his body sink into the velvet expanse, "what can the great Moustafa do for you, my friend?"

"We need help getting to Lapiston. Let's just say I don't have the means to mount an official expedition."

"Lapiston?" Moustafa sipped his drink and smacked his tongue. "Why would you want to go to such a wretched place?"

"It's a long story," Mario sat on a cushion opposite Moustafa, he crossed his legs and balanced his elbows on his knees.

Minerva chose to stand beside the door. Her hand hovered beside her blade.

"Can you get us there?" Mario said.

"I can get you anywhere in the Koophari, friend, but Lapiston is a tall order."

"All I need is transportation and supplies. I promise I'll pay it all back when this is over."

"You still haven't told me why."

Mario sighed. "There are supposedly five artifacts hidden there, important and powerful ones."

Moustafa's whiskers twitched. He stroked his chin, "this will not be an easy task. That's Bluecoat territory. They will not take kindly to intrusions from my mice."

"We can handle bandits," Minerva said.

"Hornets are no issue when they are away from the hive, but when you kick the nest, well," Moustafa shook his head, "but you knew this didn't you? I presume you requested my big trucks for a reason."

"We've got a few of Bowser's kids with us," Mario sat straighter, " as I said, it's a long story, but they're helping us."

Moustafa's yellow eyes twinkled. "I see. So was this Roy Koopa's doing? Settling an old score perhaps?"

"No. Ludwig Von Koopa's convinced everyone we need some serious firepower."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the coup in the Darklands?" Moustafa's expression tightened.

"Excuse me?"

"So you haven't heard," Moustafa cleared his throat, "some of my mice east of the border have brought news of an attack from within Castle Koopa. Your dear queen has been busy rallying up a rebellion."

"That's not Peach," Mario set his glass between his legs.

"I see," Moustafa scratched his chin, "and what's so dangerous about this 'not Peach.'"

Minerva hid her face.

Mario curled his lips, "she has Agaricus's sword."

Moustafa squinted, "ah that is a problem." Moustafa sat up straighter. "Have you been to Lapiston since the Koopa's invasion?"

Mario shook his head.

"Nor have I, it is not a friendly place," Moustafa scratched his chin, and there was a slight tremble in his voice, "I hear rumors from my braver smugglers."

Mario leaned closer to hear Moustfa better.

"They say there is a black aura there. The sand itself is slaked with hatred. Something more than bandits await you, something much worse."

"Please, I've dealt ghosts and 'something worse' before," Mario smirked.

"If not for those greencaps, I fear you would have died years ago," Moustafa smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. He grabbed Mario's arm and leaned close. "I will provide you with as much as I can give, but I cannot spare too much."

"Thank you."

"Stay safe, old friend," Moustafa's smile disappeared, he whistled, "Kaspar! You know what to do."

Mario looked at the mouse and nodded.

Kaspar hopped to his feet, and he ran to the door, "right, right. This way."

Mario and Minerva stood to follow him.

"Lapiston here we come."

X-X-X

The truck hissed. Roy and his brothers swayed as the vehicle jolted to a halt. Roy steadied himself and put his ear to the wall. He heard a Yoshi's sing-song language and whispery toad and hushed mouse squeaks.

The secret door screeched open. Kaspar cast a long shadow. "We're safe, come on out," Kaspar bowed.

The room was dark save for the electric lights that dangled from the highest point of the ceiling. A generator trundled in the distance. A pulsating cluster of swooping-bats gathered where the light did not touch.

Kaspar sinewed between the trucks and the other nomadimice.

"Where are we?" Roy said.

"It's a secret to everyone," Kaspar mumbled, "make yourselves at home. It will be some time before we leave again."

Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck, "any chance there's something to eat?"

Cheatsy's eyes lit up.

"How'd I know that was gonna be the first thing you'd ask?" Roy sniggered.

"I don't blame him, I even see another mushroom I might keel over dead," Larry mumbled.

Kaspar walked past Ludwig. "There's cafeteria of sorts that'd be happy to oblige. If you have some coin on you, of course."

Ludwig scratched his chest, a small pocket of jangling coins rattled.

"You got enough for your loyal crew and pals?" Cheatsy put on his best puppy eyes.

"I hope." Ludwig sighed.

"It's called portion control," Roy patted Ludwig's back.

"Yeah, yeah," Ludwig brushed off Roy's hand. "You'll know where to find me."

Ludwig, Larry, and Cheatsy wandered off through the underground den.

Roy and Junior approached the next truck. Luigi stood beside the back of the cargo truck and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Vine sat on the lip of the truck bed beside Rocky, and they whispered to each other.

"How'd you get involved with this family, anyway?" Vine said.

"My father," Rocky cleared his throat, "was recruited by the old king Koopa to build the first Castle Koopa."

"No kidding, the moles?" Vine snorted.

"Engineered the first lava pumps too!" Rocky nodded sagely. "Now I never met old Furic, but the way my dah talked about him, you'd never hear him speak more pious in church."

Vine tilted his head, "but why stay with his son? Bowser's an awful ruler."

Rocky snorted, "typical of a Mushroomer not to understand. The Koopa Royal family gave the Moles a fighting chance against the other Darkland Tribes. Without Furic or Bowser, we'd be Hammer or Firebrand Tribe flunkies." Rocky's claws flexed. "Or extinct."

Junior trotted toward Vine and Rocky, his eyes alight with questions and his face bright.

"Wait, your dad met my grandpa?" Junior said.

"I'd hope so, he was the royal engineer," Rocky jostled his utility belt.

Roy bit his bottom lip. Bowser, or any Koopa for that matter, never deserved such loyalty. He left Junior and Rocky and approached Luigi.

"Where's Mario?" Roy said.

Luigi shrugged, "what am I, his keeper?"

Roy rolled his eyes. He decided to explore the cave complex himself. Motorbikes, small autos, carriages, and of course the cargo trucks docked and awaited resupply.

Nomadimice swarms gathered as one. They hoisted boxes twice their size and moved them between transports.

A foreman of sorts tweeted a tin whistle and the mice scattered to the next job. Loaded vehicles rumbled and ascended a ramp to the infinite desert sun.

Roy slid off his goggles. He squinted and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. A makeshift cafeteria lay beyond the docking garage. Fried foodstuff spoke in its heavy scent. Roy's stomach rumbled in response.

Larry, Cheatsy, and Ludwig sat before at plate of scorpions. Fried breading speckled their black exoskeletons. Their tails were bare of stingers.

Roy grimaced.

"I'll try it if you try it," Cheatsy sniffed at the fried arachnids.

"Next time I'll ask for something else," Larry pouted.

Ludwig pinched a scorpion's middle, raised it to his lips, and he bit off its head. Black bits of shell crumbled and flecked his beard. He contemplated the flavor then popped the rest in his mouth. "Could use a sauce or something, but it tastes like a potato chip."

Larry and Cheasty looked at each other.

Roy disregarded the bug eating and abandoned his appetite. He followed the cafeteria to its end and found a network of catwalks that spiraled deeper inward.

Mario and Minerva walked on opposite sides of Kaspar.

Bingo.

"Hey, Mario!" Roy's voice echoed off the cavern ceiling. A cluster of bats squeaked in response.

Mario lifted his hat and smoothed back his hair as Roy jogged close.

Minerva went rigid and faced Roy. Her sword arm twitched.

"Finally found you," Roy exhaled, "listen, I need to tell you something."

"Roy? What's the matter?" Mario cocked his head.

"Mario, really this-"

"It can wait." Minerva scowled. "We've wasted enough time on you Koopas as it is."

Mario quirked his brow and turned toward Roy. "We'll talk later, alright?"

"This can't wait," Roy snapped, the bats squeaked louder, "listen, we can just take the supplies and get across the desert, no problem, I'll deal with Ludwig."

Minerva stood between Mario and Roy, her head leaned back and her hard pale eyes sharp with anger, "you think you can get out of this?"

Roy's eyes were wet with shame, and he loosed a shaking sigh.

"In case you haven't noticed," Mario grabbed Minerva's arm and yanked her back, "most of us plan on going. The last thing I need is for our group to split up," Mario glanced over his shoulder and looked the trucks where Luigi and Vine sat, "I don't want anyone getting hurt because I was too stubborn."

Roy bit his bottom lip.

"If this is what happened," Mario sighed, "it's not your fault. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Minerva scoffed, and she stormed off. Her boots clacked the ground. Mario cocked his head. "Was it something I said?"

Roy watched her leave, and he felt his ribs grow tight around his heart.

"Excuse me, but we are pressed for time, are we not?" Kaspar jumped.

Mario followed the mouse, "Hey Roy, know anything about logistics?"

Roy bobbed his head.

"Good, maybe you can help with the resupply instead," Mario beckoned. Roy remained close behind.

X-X-X

A pair of cargo trucks coasted the horizon. They trundled up the dunes and carved a wedge through the Koophari. A motorized kart snaked the vehicles and leaped off a tall sandy ridge.

Mario hooted and hollered after cresting the Koophari's dunes. Luigi held his cap to his head and screamed. Daisy cheered and hugged Luigi. The engine drowned their voices.

Mario flicked the radio, "Kaspar, I want one of these."

"You keep that Dunerider in one piece, you can take it home," Kaspar said.

Mario shifted gears and followed beside the lead car. Round stacks of cacti cast oblong shadows on the sand. Mario drifted past the waxy crowd of plants.

One stack trembled and a pair of eyes stretched open. The heaps of cacti slithered beside the tire tracks before tiring and returning to dormancy. Their red eyes followed the horizon.

The makeup of the desert changed. No longer sandy dunes but pale pumice. No scraggly desert weeds grew in the cracked miles of radiant stone.

The tread on the trucks rattled on the pumice and crushed pebbles. Plumes of dust gathered behind them like coattails. The furious sunrays beat upon them.

Hazy cloaked figures watched from the safety of a hill. Their teal-garbed leader put a spyglass to his eye. He followed the caravan.

The leader made a motion with his hand, and the bandits leaped atop motorized bikes.

X-X-X

Larry's tail swiveled, and he watched the dashboard. Gauges clicked and sputtered. Kaspar sang along with the radio.

Larry sighed. Still, it beat being locked up in the cargo hold.

"You are so silent," Kaspar turned the radio down a pinch, "a good co-pilot should not be so silent."

"Sorry, I'm thinking," Larry pressed his cheek against the warm window.

"Might I pry?"

"It's nothing interesting," Larry shrugged, "do you have brothers?"

"All Moustafa's clan are my brothers."

"Your poor mother."

Kaspar chuckled, "you're a funny guy, I like funny guys."

"But do you?"

"I have many brothers, as I said," Kaspar cleared his throat, "we are brothers in purpose."

"Do you ever fear for one?" Larry cocked his head.

"Life is too short to dwell on fear," Kaspar said, "we all know that death is coming for us, and we wish to face it with our boots on, so to speak."

"I guess you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"My oldest brother, I guess he's adopted, since I don't know who our real mom or dad is, but," Larry shook his head, "that's beside the point. My older brother wanted to kill himself."

"Do you have any idea why he might want that?" Kaspar flicked the radio down until only a faint rumble in the speakers remained. His whiskers twitched, and he watched the pumice flats.

"I'm not sure," Larry angled the air conditioning toward his face. He sat up straight. His mohawk brushed the ceiling. He smoothed his hair back.

Kaspar jerked the gear shift, and the car sped up, "we all want a reason to keep on going, to feel important in the grand scheme of things. When we lose sight of that goal, sometimes it is easier to stop going instead of facing the unknown."

"Sounds like you've put some thought into this."

"Before I joined Moustafa I felt much the same," Kaspar said, "why keep on going when tomorrow is no different than today, and every day after that is the same? Perhaps your brother is grappling with his sense of purpose in the world."

Larry latched onto the words, "how do you fix it?"

Kaspar shrugged, "only he can find out for himself."

Larry's eyes were hot with the start of tears, and he turned so Kaspar could not see.

"You are a strange crowd," Kaspar mumbled, "you all try to be so hard faced and cruel looking, but it is not you. Or, at least, it does not suit you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Kaspar hummed. He glanced at the mirrors. Dust clouds swirled in the distance. His nose twitched, "I smell trouble." Kaspar flicked his two-way radio. "We've got trouble, regroup." His truck rumbled to a slower pace.

Mario drove closer to investigate.

Kaspar unrolled the driverside window upon the Dunerider's approach. "Bluecoats on the horizon, these folk attack on sight and aren't keen on leaving survivors."

Mario looked at the trucks. He pursed his lips, "well, can't say we didn't know this was coming."

The thick dust clouds swirled. Larry could make out the silhouettes of drivers in the distance. "Better figure it out quick," Larry shouted.

There was rumbling behind Larry. The vent behind his head jerked open. Roy's muzzle appeared in the grate. "What's going on out there?"

"Bandits," Larry said.

"Finally, some action," Roy popped his knuckles, and he shuffled away.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Larry called back to him.

The back of the truck rolled open and heavy footsteps sounded from outside. Larry pushed the passenger door open, and he saw Roy beside Mario's car.

"Here," Roy threw an armful of javelins into the back of the Dunecrawler, he leaned over and flicked on Mario's two-way, "Rocky. Get the supply car towards the front. Kaspar'll tail you. When the jerks get close, I'll throw open the back and hold them off," he raised a javelin for emphasis, "and Mario you'll hang around the front and take on the ones that slip through the cracks."

"Roger that," Rocky's voice crackled.

"But what if someone gets past both of you?" Larry shouted over the wind. "Rocky's driving and Konrad can't fight. They're sitting ducks."

"On it," Vine leaped from his seat in the Dunecrawler, and he broke into a dead sprint.

Junior barreled from the smugglers truck, arm full of javelins, his breathing wild. "Wait up!"

Mario buffed the dust from his mustache and turned toward Kaspar, "you heard the guy, get a move on."

Kaspar bounced from Mario's Dunecrawler and pointed at the other supply truck and then twisted his fingers in a swirling motion.

Rocky held his thumbs up. Konrad braced himself. The engine roared.

Larry climbed from his seat and made a move toward Roy.

Roy grabbed Larry's shoulders. "Hold on, where are you going."

"I can help," Larry weaseled out of Roy's grip.

Roy sighed, "fine, but stay outta my way."

The rear truck lurched into motion and rolled to the front of the caravan. Roy steadied himself and locked the smuggler door open.

Ludwig wobbled to the edge of the truck.

"Get off your feet," Roy pointed to the corner, "you're in no condition for this."

Cheatsy peeked around Ludwig, "is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, make sure this one," Roy prodded Ludwig's chest with his claw, "doesn't do anything stupid. No more Embers."

Ludwig's throat rumbled, and he stepped toward the back of the car.

The desert horizon shifted. The truck rumbled into motion. Kaspar floored the gas. Larry grabbed the wall.

A roiling duststorm blotted the horizon. Blue cloaked bandits emerged. Larry covered his face.

"Where'd that come from?" Larry coughed.

The bandits doubled up on motorbikes; the drivers leaned forward. The rear-seat bandits waved crude clubs with razors hammered into the head and slings and jars of boiling yellow smoke.

The air reeked of exhaust and oil and a pair of bandits closed on Roy.

Roy hurled a javelin into the front wheel's spokes. The tire locked. Metal shrieked. The bike flipped. Both bandits crashed into the sand.

Two other bikes raced past Roy toward the supply truck. Larry grabbed a javelin and tried to stop them. His spears missed and vanished into the hungry clouds.

"Stop wasting spears," Roy snarled.

Larry flinched.

Three bikes closed in on Roy and Larry.

Two bandits wielded slings. They hurled spiked balls and punctured the cargo truck's outer shell.

Roy ducked and a crimson spiny-ball embedded itself in the wall. He blocked his face, and another ball lodged in his arm.

Roy roared and ripped the ball free. Hot blood trickled down his biceps, "I just fixed this fu-"

Larry tackled his older brother to the ground, and another spiked ball dented the inside of the car.

Larry grabbed a javelin and held the thickest end upward. He squinted at the nearest sling bearer.

A ball twirled toward Larry. He swatted it with the butt of the javelin. The ball smacked the driver's forehead. The bike flew out of control and crashed into another pair of bandits.

Another bandit swerved onto the pumice flats. He waved a glass jar. Yellow smoke burgeoned from the neck. The bandit tossed the bomb.

Larry drew a breath through his nose and he counted back from ten. His eyes narrowed. He envisioned the bottle flying into his hand. He snatched the jar from the air. Larry threw the jar, and it twisted in a twirling arc.

Miasmic fog and blue fire exploded from the bottle and engulfed the bike.

Roy looked at Larry and nodded. "Not bad kid."

"Guys, guys," Cheatsy ran, "the mouse dude says hold on!"

The truck bounced. Cheatsy flew off his feet and smacked the wall. Roy lost his footing, he grabbed door flap and twisted out the entrance. He skipped on the sand like a pebble on a lake.

A lump of blue cloth and a crushed bike zoomed from beneath the truck. Roy twisted and narrowly avoided the wreckage.

"Roy!" Larry dove on his stomach, and he reached out to his brother.

A thick 'thrip' noise set Larry's heart racing.

Roy jerked, and he inched further and further away.

Larry grasped the curtain right as it gave.

Larry slammed the ground. His chin struck the metal floor, and he tasted blood. He screamed. Hot tears streamed down his face.

Another pair of hands brushed past him and grabbed the torn tarp. Ludwig snarled and his legs spread into a wide stance. He yanked it back. His teeth gnashed, and he pulled Roy closer.

Roy clawed his way through the sand.

A spiked ball whizzed through the air and struck Ludwig's arm. The eldest koopaling gasped. His brow tightened into a murderous scowl, and he pulled harder.

Another bike whizzed into view. The driver was alone. He swirled a sling with one hand and held the handlebars with the other. The driver hurled another ball at Ludwig.

The ball punctured Ludwig's chest. His grip faltered for less than second. He nearly lost control.

Larry scrambled to his feet. He hurled a javelin. Everything moved in slow motion. His heart pounded in his ears. He watched the trajectory, the arc, the spin on shaft.

The driver dropped his sling. He slumped to the side and landed in the dirt. The spear bulged from his ribs.

Roy reached the edge of the truck. He jumped and snagged the lip of the bumper. His claws sunk into the metal with a horrible screeching sound. Ludwig slipped and fell on his back, his legs kicked in the air.

Cheatsy and Larry grabbed Roy's arms and hoisted him back to safety.

They all slumped on the floor beside Ludwig.

Larry and Roy looked at each other and laughed softly. The thrill of living filled their resolve.

Ludwig pulled the spiked balls from his arm and chest and he snarled. "Ff-" he bit his bottom lip.

"You're alright Luddy," Roy examined the wounds, "the needles didn't sink in as deep. That extra fluff's good for something after all."

Ludwig propped himself on the wall. "Speak for yourself. I think I dislocated my shoulder trying to drag you back."

"It's all muscle baby," Roy flexed, blood trickled down his arm, and he gasped.

"Is everyone alright back there?" Kaspar shouted Larry ran to the vent.

"What the hell was that all about?" Larry pressed his face to the grate.

"I had to engage in vehicular combat," Kaspar said, "I think I overdid it."

Roy's knees ached. The scales on his shins pulled raw. He smoothed them, and he winced. "How many others are there?"

"Hold that thought." Kaspar turned from the grate. The cargo hold lurched. Metal clanged on truck raced past a laid out bike.

Toom! Larry flinched and stepped away from the walls. Someone boarded. They were moving along the edges of the truck. Their boots clattered against the side.

Roy covered his arm and moved to the back of the truck, he tested his grip and tried to hoist himself onto the roof, but the gash in his arm proved too painful to bear. He hissed through his teeth, dropped on the ground, and roared.

"Give me a boost," Larry grabbed a javelin.

Ludwig and Roy looked at him.

"Stop staring; they're gonna get Kaspar!" Larry ran to the end of the truck.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Roy shook his head, he got on his knee and allowed Larry purchase on his back.

"Roy, he's gonna get himself killed," Ludwig snapped.

"You're not climbing up there, not in your condition," Roy grunted, and he hoisted Larry onto his shoulders, "and I'm not going far with my arm."

Ludwig's nostril twitched, "you have a point," he took Larry's opposite arm.

"Wait!" Cheatsy stood beside Roy. "Get me up there, too."

The truck lurched, and Cheatsy flopped on his back.

"Now or never," Roy grunted and hoisted Larry.

Ludwig grit his teeth and the brothers lifted Larry.

Larry hooked his claws on the roof, and he mantled the truck's roof.

Larry dug his claws into the tarp, and he crawled his way across the top of the truck. His fingers hooked the metal frame, hot wind blasted his face and his eyes teared up. "Oh Stars, this was a terrible idea."

Larry dragged himself claw by agonizing claw.

A pair of bandits dangled from the side, their coats waved like flags. He swatted one hand with the flat of the javelin and sent the bandit to his doom. The other bandit's white mask peaked above the lip of the truck, and he raised a spiked club.

Larry jabbed the bandit's mask.

The bandit swatted the javelin's tip aside, and he crawled toward Larry.

Sweat pearled on Larry's brow, his lips pulled taught, and he thrust the javelin.

The bandit dodged and grabbed Larry's mohawk and raised the club to strike.

Larry's moved to block. His claws unhooked from the truck. Larry threw his arms forward and snatched the bandit's cloak.

The two of them hurtled off the truck. Roy and Ludwig screamed his name. His stomach turned cartwheels inside him.

Larry's leg crunched upon hitting the ground. Searing pain shot up his shin through his thigh and needled his groin.

Larry lay still. His hair was huge with sand. His hands trembled.

The bandit was even less fortunate. His body bent in half at the hips. His legs twitched.

Larry crawled in the sand. His leg ached, and hot tears trickled down his cheeks and smeared the sand into mud. His rubber-hose leg flailed. Sand filled his shell between a crack. He looked at the trucks and saw them shrink, further and further, his eyes grew heavy.

X-X

Ludwig grabbed Roy's neck and shook him, "you idiot, what did you do to him?"

Roy tore himself free of Ludwig's grip. He ran to the front of the car. "Kaspar, turn it around, Larry's out there."

"They'll surround us if I stop."

Roy punched a dent in the grate.

"I would appreciate you not destroying my equipment." Kaspar snapped.

Roy rubbed his temples, and he grabbed a javelin.

Ludwig reached out and saw Roy climb off the back of the truck.

Roy tucked and rolled on the ground. His shell left spiked imprints in the sand. Roy broke into a dead sprint, and his head ducked forward.

Ludwig looked at Cheatsy, "he's gonna need help."

"Right, let's all get ourselves killed and leave Kaspar defenseless," Cheatsy trembled.

Ludwig clenched his fists. He bounded to the edge of the truck, and he hopped off. Cheatsy inched toward the lip of the car, he looked back over his shoulder and then beyond at the desert.

Meanwhile, a bike mounted bandit closed in on Roy. The bandit raised his razored club.

"Roy, down!" Ludwig out shouted the wind.

Roy dove beneath the broad stroke and stabbed the bike's rear tire with the javelin. The rubber wheel deflated, and the bandit tumbled over the handlebars.

The bandit hit the ground and gasped.

Roy wobbled to his feet and stomped on the bandit's back until it cracked.

Ludwig bent over his knees. His bad eye throbbed. Sharp pains tickled his brain. He shook the pain away and pressed on.

A squad of bandits surrounded Larry. They lifted him onto the back of a bike and fastened ropes around his middle. The teal-clad leader paced them.

The dust storm swirled into a cyclone. Ludwig's hair blasted into a blue cloud of sweat and dirt. His eyes watered and he coughed up sand soaked phlegm.

Roy bared his teeth and raised his spear. The sand flecked harmlessly off his goggles. He skewered the first bandit he encountered and kneed the next.

The teal-clad bandit smacked the back of Roy's head. Razors cut deep, and warmth trickled down the nape of his neck. He saw pulsing lights. His temples throbbed.

Cheatsy ducked between Roy's legs and sprinted toward Larry. The onslaught paused a moment. A few bandits broke off from the horde and chased Cheatsy.

The teal bandit cornered Roy. The bandit swiped. Roy blinked through the pain and steadied himself and juked.

Roy grabbed club's head, the razors bit into his fingers, and his flesh screamed. He wrestled the weapon from his opponent. The bandit staggered backward.

More bandits surrounded Roy.

Roy grit his teeth. He beat the hordes back with the bloody club. Roy stumbled backward, limp piles of blue surrounded him.

Cheatsy sprinted toward the Teal leader; he scooped up a discarded club off the ground. Cheatsy dropped to his knees and swung for the bandit leader's calves.

The Teal bandit leaped over the strike and kicked Cheatsy's nose.

The Mock-koopalings eyes crossed and Cheatsy flipped on his back. Blood trickled down his nostrils.

Roy grunted, and he charged toward the dark shapes of Cheatsy, Larry, and the bandit leader.

The Bluecoats emerged en masse from the clouds like sand effigies. Their white faces glowed in the shadows of the storm.

Roy stood there, bleeding, a dull hum growled in his ears. He squinted. The buzzing sound grew louder until it roared.

Mario's Dunecrawler raced past and flattened a pair of bandits. Minerva jumped from the vehicle and plunged her sword into another bandit.

The impaled bandit squirmed, she kicked him and yanked the weapon free.

Minerva moved stance to stance. A Bluecoat swung overhead. Minerva caught the club on her hilt, parried the club off her blade, and stabbed the bandit's face. The sword punched through a mask and out the other end of the bandit's head. He slid off the blade and lay motionless.

Roy limped toward Larry. The teal bandit stood still. His white mask glared. Roy squeezed his razor club.

The teal bandit swung his club and exposed his right flank.

Roy smashed the teal bandit's face with a horizontal swipe.

The bandit's mask shattered and the pieces scattered the sand. He dropped to his knees. His teal cloak stained red.

Roy swung overhead, teeth bared.

The bandit rolled beneath the strike and escaped inside the sandstorm.

Roy charged. A shrill whistle tone echoed off the horizon. Then, sudden as it had arrived, the storm disappeared.

The koophari's pumice vastness surrounded Roy. The teal bandit was gone. A trail of broken motorbikes and lumps of blue fabric stretched lengthwise across the horizon.

Sand brushed the tops of his feet. He dropped the bloody club. It landed on the pumice with a 'whump' and his blood-slicked hand burned. He traced his steps back to Larry and saw that his brother was on the ground, motionless.

Roy dropped to his knees and shook Larry, "please be alive, please be alive."

Larry spit up sand, and he rolled onto his side.

Roy inspected the damage. The most apparent wound was Larry's left leg. It was limp below the knee and swollen twice as thick. Shards of busted shell shanked an exposed section of his younger brother's back.

"Damn," Roy mumbled, "where do I even start?"

A long shadow approached the brothers.

Roy tensed, and he seized a discarded club.

"Put that down if you know what's good for you," Minerva said and sheathed her weapon.

"Larry?" Ludwig jogged and looked his brother up and down. "Come on, help me move him," Ludwig gestured towards Larry.

X-X-X

Larry gasped. He hunched over, v-legged, and his awkward limbs spasmed, and he yowled curses.

"I know, I know, it hurts, hang in there," Ludwig whispered. He steadied his forceps. He lifted his eye-patch, and his bloodshot eye was exposed for all to see.

Roy held a metal pan and Ludwig discarded the bloody shards.

Ludwig rubbed his brow on his forearm.

He held his breath as he extracted more bits of broken shell. Junior studied Ludwig and his careful maneuvers. Precise and practiced hands applied topical medicine to the cuts and foam sealed them.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Junior mumbled. His tone was almost accusatory.

"Lemmy and Roy used to get hurt a lot, so I read books and bugged Kamek to teach me," Ludwig grunted and pressed a gauze pad on Larry's punctures, "I got a lot of practice that way."

Ludwig checked Larry's splint and Larry shivered.

Mario hummed. His mustache wrinkled with his lips as he smiled, "guess you're a handy guy to have around."

"Depends on who you're asking." Ludwig rummaged through the crate of medical supplies. He lifted a wrapped bundle of vials. "MK medicines are a little foreign to me, though."

Mario reached around Ludwig's arm and picked a vial of rose liquid. A heart sticker marked the jar. He plucked the cork and handed it to Larry. "That should do it."

Larry sighed, "here goes nothing." He downed the vial and gagged. His eyelids drooped.

"Rose-cap extract is great for this sort of thing, it's like a less potent green-cap, granted it doesn't pick you up quite as fast, and there're still side effects," Mario stretched his legs and sat back.

"What sort of side effects are we looking at here?" Ludwig frowned.

"Drowsiness, hallucinations, pain in the afflicted region," Mario counted on his fingers.

"Goody." Larry slumped on his back. His eyelids eased shut.

Roy blinked a few times, and he tenderly rubbed the bandages that wrapped his head. He put his back to the wall of the truck. Roy stared at his feet.

"Bowser's not going to recognize us by the time we get home," Ludwig covered his afflicted eye.

"I hardly recognize us right now," Larry mumbled.

Ludwig packed the medical supplies. Ludwig and Mario climbed from the back of the truck and braced for desert heart. The sun was furious red, and the sky was blue at its end.

Minerva and Vine squatted beside a pile of blue cloth. Vine prodded it with his sword. Kaspar sniffed the fabric, and his whiskers twitched.

"What did you find out?" Mario reached for the blue cloak.

Minerva scooped a handful of white dust, and it trickled between her fingers, "I've seen this once before. Amanita's clones turned to ash upon death."

"So these guys were with Amanita?" Mario cocked his head.

"No. I'm sure we would have seen other members of her crew by now," Ludwig rubbed his chin, "this is someone else's merry band of clones."

Kaspar's tail flicked left to right. "Clones? The Bluecoats have always been peculiar, but I never suspected this."

Vine sneezed, and a cloud of white blasted the others. Minerva covered her face. Kaspar backed off, hacking and coughing and spitting. Mario flicked his mustache clean, his eyes watered. Ludwig dusted the powder from his stomach.

Vine wiped his lips clean of residue. "Sorry, sorry," Vine's eyes watered, "ugh, it tastes like burnt toast."

Mario squinted. A folded paper hid in the folds of the cloak. He pinched the yellowed paper and yanked it free from the sand. He shook it free of dust and thumbed the corners back.

"Oh boy," Mario mumbled, he angled the page for others to see.

Ludwig recognized the washed out black and white photos. Bits and pieces of Castle Koopa's great hall were visible in the background.

The words 'Wanted: Alive' headed the page. Their faces were stern and clipped from a larger photo. Ludwig saw a ten thousand coin reward stamped beneath his frowning visage.

"By decree of the Darkland Liberation Front the Koopa Royal family has been convicted of treason and must serve trial for their crimes," Mario looked at Ludwig.

"This complicates things," Ludwig raked his claws through his hair, and he breathed softly as a whisper.

"I dunno, maybe we can cash the bounty for a few of you guys and use the reward to buy some proper gear," Vine said.

Ludwig glared at him.

"I'm kidding." Vine scoffed.

Ludwig rolled his eyes and examined the pictures once more. Ludwig, Larry, Junior, and Roy. The numerical values were all circled in red, save for Roy's. A thick red 'X' crossed his face.

"Guess they figured he's easier to kill than to capture," Ludwig looked at the truck that housed the injured.

Minerva studied the discarded blue coat, and she stroked the fabric, "or they'd rather see him dead."

"What would a bunch of strangers have against my brother?"

"I don't think they're strangers," Minerva brushed her thumb along the cloak's stitched seams.

The cloak was crafted from a long lost silk dress and the coarse material of a militiaman's coat. Burlap patches affixed the holes, and stolen pockets lined the inner jacket.

The others cast nervous glances toward the horizon.

Ludwig straightened his back, and he stepped backward toward the truck.

Minerva ignored him and made way for the Dunecrawler.

Ludwig boarded the truck again; he saw Cheatsy and Roy sitting side by side. Ludwig knelt beside Roy, "we need to talk."

Roy snorted.

"What happened to Lapiston?" Ludwig said.

Roy flinched.

Ludwig sighed, and he drew a breath. "This is important. These guys want you dead."

Roy's muzzle scrunched.

"Ludwig, I don't remember what happened here," Roy said plainly.

"Oh yeah, I bet it's effortless to forget the impetus of some mass tragedy."

Roy removed his goggles, and his lips trembled. "Ludwig. I'm serious."

Ludwig's brow tightened. "So, what, you repressed it or something?"

"I'm not sure," Roy bit his bottom lip, "it twists me up inside when I try to think too hard about it."

Ludwig rubbed his temples and dropped beside Roy. Ludwig bumped his head against the wall and stared at the ceiling. He covered his eyes with his forearm.

"Having second thoughts about this whole thing?" Roy said.

"Partially," Ludwig sighed, "but there's some news about home that worries me."

Roy cocked his head.

"There's a bounty on our heads," Ludwig tapped his finger on the ground, "suddenly there are a million golden reasons why no one should help us."

Roy rubbed the back of his head.

"It's not us versus Amanita or Mario," Ludwig said, his voice dipped below Larry's snoring, "it's us against the world now, and your loser of a big brother is going to get you all killed."

"We're all losers," Roy shrugged.

Ludwig's head bowed.

"But you know what," Roy smirked, "nothing's killed us yet. For all of our screw ups, we've survived this long, and we know more for the next we're gonna screw up. We're the best losers out there."

Ludwig snorted, "that's simultaneously the most pessimistic and optimistic thing you've ever said."

"It's called being realistic," Roy tucked his hands behind his head, "we drew the short end of the stick just by being Koopas, but that doesn't mean we get to back down and stop fighting."

"That means you're done running from Lapiston?" Ludwig rolled his eyes.

Roy's smile faded.

Ludwig exhaled softly and patted Roy's back, "whatever you did, I've got your back if you've got mine. That's what brothers do, right?"

Roy nodded once.

Ludwig popped his knuckles. "Let's dig up some treasure."


	12. Dry, Dry, Bones

###  **Chapter 12: Dry, Dry, Bones**

Lapiston sat on the horizon like a row of shattered teeth. The brick silhouettes hid amid a haze of black sand. The air reeked of sour meat and ash.

Kaspar and the other drivers parked in an L shaped formation. They tucked their supplies in the L's crook. Ludwig and Roy carried Larry out of the truck. Konrad stood beside Rocky, arms full of stakes. Rocky spiked the ends of a domed tent in the pumice.

Rocky wiped his brow, "that should do it."

Roy settled Larry in the tent and welcomed the respite from the biting sands. Larry's eyelids fluttered. He stifled a yawn into his fist. His head slumped forward.

"Sorry squirt," Roy whispered.

"S'okay." Larry blinked slowly.

Ludwig paced back and forth. "How long do you think we have until those bandits come back," Ludwig stood at the edge of the tent, and he watched the city limits for azure tincture.

"It won't be long, now that they know we're here." Roy limped behind Ludwig.

Mario dragged a crate to the end of the truck, Luigi ran to his side and hoisted it to the ground. Daisy pried the top off with a crowbar and passed supplies around. Flashlights, survival bags, and canteens.

Ludwig crossed his arms and stood beside Luigi.

"Should've waited for one of you two to unload this dang thing," Luigi flapped his hat and fanned his face.

Roy ignored Luigi and faced Mario. "Larry's not going anywhere, and Ludwig can't do much in his condition."

Ludwig's lips curled, "I can do plenty."

Roy scoffed.

"They'll have to stay back," Mario shrugged.

"Might as well paint a target on their backs," Roy snorted, "the first thing those bandits'll strike is our supplies and injured."

"Then we have to be quick," Mario said, "what other options do we have? We leave, and we won't have enough supplies to make it back to Dry Dry Outpost, we hit the Koopa Kingdom and every bounty hunter this side of the desert is going to try and bag you."

Roy dragged his claws over his cheeks, "alright, so some of us stay back, fine, do we at least have like a radio or something to communicate?"

"I might have a solution," Kaspar climbed into the driver's seat and removed a black box. Elaborate dials and dormant gauges speckled the face.

Daisy took one look and groaned. "You're kidding me. We have to lug around that hunk of junk?"

"I mean if you want to, I don't mind keeping the travel version with me," Kaspar carried a similar black box from the back of the truck. This one was substantially smaller and fit into a red shoulder pack. Kaspar cradled the bag. "They're old but reliable. Moustafa's been using radios like these before I even thought about joining his gang."

Ludwig took the old tech. He unzipped the bag and inspected the box. "I could sneeze on this thing, and it'd bust."

"It probably would so hold your breath," Kaspar improvised a small radio station using a few crates, and he sat in the shade of the trucks.

"I guess it's better than nothing." Mario rubbed the back of his neck. "Does anyone know how to work it?"

The wind outpaced their silence, and they all looked awkwardly at one another.

"How hard could it be?" Ludwig rolled his eyes. "I wish Iggy were here; we'd have this thing up and running in no time."

"Yeah, but he ain't here, and who said you were going?" Roy tapped the box.

Ludwig fiddled with the knobs and tapped the roof. "Who else is going to work this piece of junk?"

"Junior's into this sort of stuff," Roy nodded and rubbed his chin, "Junior!"

The prince of Koopas leaped from the back of the secondary supply truck, playing cards in hand, and he cocked his head. "What?"

"Don't you 'what' me," Roy shouted, "get over here."

Junior jogged, his tail twitched cautiously. He barged into the circle around the radio equipment. His nostrils flared.

Junior turned his nose at the old radio, "the heck is that?"

"A radio," Roy crossed his arms, "think you could figure out how to work it?"

Junior rubbed his chin and tapped his foot.

"Come on, you built one of those comm screen thingies into your Klown Kopter," Roy said.

"I mean, I assembled the components and attached the hookups," Junior's cheeks burned red, "but Iggy built the machine, not me. Besides, this looks a hundred years old; I don't think it runs like the one on my Klown Kar."

"Maybe the two of us can work it," Ludwig grunted, "Roy, I can handle myself."

"The second I take my eyes off of you, you're gonna do something stupid and get yourself killed, no way," Roy snapped.

"Roy," Ludwig's brow tightened, and he frowned, "for one, I'm your older brother, this is supposed to work the other way around. Two, I think I can handle this. I've got medicine to keep me on my toes."

Roy huffed.

"Three," Ludwig silenced Roy before he could speak, "you and I both know that Larry's safer in your hands."

"But-"

"This isn't up for debate, I'm the captain, that's my order," Ludwig stood straighter, his tail flicked, his back arched and he coughed into his elbow.

Roy bit his bottom lip, "then promise me something."

"What?"

"Come back alive."

Ludwig hoisted the bag over his shoulder, and it rested on the curve of his shell.

Kaspar crossed his arms. "I will remain here with the supplies. I apologize, but I promised Moustafa I would take you here, not venture into the city."

"Then that's two people here with Larry." Mario followed the group with his eyes. He watched them in a half circle motion. "Any other takers."

Cheatsy shrugged, "I have sand in places I forgot I had. I think I'll hang back."

"You can count on us your highness," Rocky wrapped his arm around Konrad's shoulder and held his thumbs up.

Konrad weaseled out of Rocky's grip and rolled his shoulders, "indeed. We'll make certain no bandits make off with our supplies."

"That might be enough," Mario recounted the group. Daisy, Luigi, Ludwig, Jr, Minerva, Vine and himself. "Half and half."

"Perfect," Ludwig popped his neck.

"Let's get packed and ready to move," Mario and Ludwig spoke at the same time. They paused and cast one another dirty looks.

The crowd dispersed, and Kaspar prepared the radio equipment.

Ludwig ventured back into Larry's tent and kneeled beside Larry, "how's your leg feeling?"

Larry shrugged. An apathetic shadow crossed his face. He was still drowsy from the medicine. At least that's what Ludwig hoped.

"He looks rough." Minerva stood beyond the tent flaps and sheathed her sword.

"What are you doing here?" Ludwig grunted.

Minerva pointed her chin at Ludwig, "you're our lifeline out there. Field medic and radio operator. You're certain you're in any condition to handle the stress?"

"No, I'm not certain," Ludwig dropped on his rump and crossed his legs, "are you certain you won't leave us all for dead?"

"I can't make any promises," Minerva said.

Ludwig rubbed his eye wells, "why so hostile?"

Minerva stood at the edge of basecamp, and she took in the full scope of the wrecked city. The fire in her eyes blazed.

X-X-X

The wind howled, and igneous black sand burgeoned from within the bowels of Lapiston.

A swirling storm encompassed them. Cyclonic winds stirred the sand and nearly swept Luigi's hat. Daisy snatched his hat from the voracious air current and placed it on Luigi's head.

"It's getting worse! Where are we supposed to go now?" Luigi out shouted the storm.

Ludwig smoothed his map and looked up. The silhouette of palatial spires and turrets lay dormant amid the sands. The Hari castle loomed on the obstructed city skyline. "If I had to guess, the artifacts were being held in the Hari castle."

"Your guess? Ludwig, we're going to need more than that," Mario yelled.

"It's an educated guess. If I wanted to hide priceless treasures from my enemies, I'd hide it in my castle."

Minerva drew her sword and walked past Ludwig, "you're on the right track, but there are more impenetrable fortresses in Lapiston."

Minerva blocked her face. She pushed further into the storm. She crouched behind a shattered brick wall, and Ludwig followed. The stonework muffled the roaring winds.

"What?" Ludwig wiped his mouth.

"There are some things they don't write in the MK's history books. There's more to the 'mines.'"

Ludwig looked Minerva up and down. "Hold on a second, and why exactly should I trust you?"

Minerva exhaled slow, and she wiped her lips clean of black sand, her voice was a growl. "Let me fill you in a little secret," Minerva glanced over her shoulder at Ludwig. "Your bastard brother has been lying to you; he knows full well where those treasures are hidden. I'm not sure why he continues to play stupid."

Ludwig glared. "And why should I trust you?"

"You didn't think it odd that your brother pushed so hard to avoid this place? He's trying to sweep his mess under the rug." Minerva turned her sword on Ludwig's stomach and lightly tapped his gut.

Ludwig's jaw clenched.

Minerva sheathed the sword. She glanced around the corner of the brick wall. Minerva raised her hand to silence Ludwig. A deep rumbling emanated from the center of the city. A chorus of moans weaved with the wailing wind. A cacophony of rage swelled.

"What was that?" Luigi whimpered.

Pregnant mounds of sand bubbled upward A bleached tibia crowned a peak. Slivers of tarsals and joints and teeth wormed their way above the earth.

Ludwig covered his ears. A soft hum tickled the inside of his head. A sharp pain stabbed his evil eye. Ludwig cried out.

Junior shook Ludwig's arm, "Ludwig?"

The bones adhered together. A pair of skeletal arms levitated from the sand and fastened to a ribcage. The malformed creature yanked a skull from the ground. White flames illuminated the eye sockets.

Piece by piece, the long-deceased Koopa rose from its derelict grave.

"What the hell?" Vine's jaw dropped.

The dry boned creature hobbled toward the crowd on uneven legs. It wrenched a war-hammer from the sand and lugged the weapon. It danced like a drunken marionette, twitching and lurching and creaking.

Minerva half-sworded her blade and swung the hilt. She smashed the creature's cracked skull and the misshapen mass crumbled into a pile of picked carrion.

"That was easy, I'm not sure what else I expected to happen," Vine cocked his head and watched the pile.

The bones jittered, and after a few moments, the skeleton reassembled. Shards of skull floated together and sealed. White flames glowed in the eye sockets.

Another skeleton crawled over the wall and jumped on Ludwig's back. The bones were warm and pulsated a cardiac rhythm. Ludwig gasped and tore the creature from his body and slammed it on the ground.

The scattered bones rolled past more rising mounds.

"Dry Bones?" Ludwig whispered.

"Dry what?" Vine cocked his head. A Dry Bone Koopa grabbed Vine from behind and gashed his cheek.

Junior tore the battling bones off Vine and stomped the pieces into pieces.

"An old myth," Ludwig grimaced, and he stepped back, "I thought Kamek made them up so we wouldn't play in the caves."

A pack of Dry Bones bedecked in cracked and worn shelled armor emerged. Some Koopa bodies wore Toad heads; others shuffled on too-short legs and too-long torsos. The chimeric bone monsters surrounded the crew.

Minerva stumbled back. She kicked a Dry Bones square in the ribs and sent the entire upper body flying. It smashed a handful of other skeletons. A Dry Toad tumbled from an open window and landed on Minerva.

Minerva hit the ground, and her sword clattered out of reach.

Daisy grabbed the sword and smacked the assailants skull off with the flat of the blade. She dropped Minerva's sword and scooped up a rock and smashed the head to powder.

The powder wafted around before congealing back into solid bone. Flames flickered in the eye sockets once more.

Daisy dropped the rock and trembled. "How do you kill them?"

Ludwig bit his bottom lip. He reached back to long nights spent composing and longer days spent dozing through Kamek's classes.

Lightning sliced the sky and Ludwig's train of thought. The black sandstorm intensified, street signs and chunks of debris clanged past Ludwig and smashed a few Dry Bones.

"Dry Bones are created when a soul is torn from a body," Ludwig mumbled and rubbed his temples, "and an Ember stays behind. Which shouldn't be possible because-"

A Dry Koopa charged Mario. It raised a war hammer above its rotten leather helmet.

Mario sidestepped the strike. He snatched the hammer from the Dry Koopa. Its arms detached and dangled from the weapon.

Mario yelped and shook the bones off.

"Ludwig!" Mario snapped.

Ludwig's evil-eye felt trapped in an ever-tightening vice. The closer the bones moved toward him, the more the crank twisted. The pain dug through his skull and boiled beneath his sinuses.

"Since they have no soul, they can't be killed by mortal weapons," Ludwig grit his teeth, "you'd have to sever the Ember's tie to the bones somehow."

"Oh, just 'sever the Ember,' how didn't I see it before?" Vine groaned and kicked a Dry Toad's head off its shoulders.

Ludwig opened his fingers and stared at his palm. He shook his head. There was one option to try, but the pain his eye discouraged him.

"Ludwig, don't," Junior closed Ludwig's hand and pursed his lips, "Roy's not here to save you this time."

Ludwig grit his teeth. A flash of teal caught the corner of his eye. Ludwig's shoulders tightened, he looked up, and he saw the tail of a teal coat dashing down an alley.

"Hey!" Ludwig shouted.

Minerva sprinted toward the bandit leader. Her boots kicked up sand and bone. Ludwig tripped over his feet to follow.

"Run? Good idea," Luigi held his cap to his head and dragged Daisy behind him.

"Where are you guys going?" Junior stomped the ground. Mario ran past him to follow Luigi.

"Shut up and move," Vine grabbed Junior's tail and nearly threw him off his feet.

Junior stumbled, his knees fought for balance, and he trotted behind Vine.

Minerva vaulted a broken vendor's cart. Her boots kicked up sand where she ran.

Ludwig watched her disappear around a building corner. Ludwig huffed, his face burned, and he spat globs of sand on the ground. His chest pounded.

Ludwig followed after and skidded to a halt.

Minerva paused in front of a mostly intact two-story building. Chunks of the sign laid on the ground. Broken glass jutted from the sand beneath the empty windows.

Minerva pushed the door open.

"Hey! Wait," Ludwig gagged and followed after her.

Ludwig bumped his head on a doorframe and winced; he rubbed his forehead and a handful of wet sand congealed on his fingers. He sighed, and he rubbed the coarse paste on his stomach, only to mix it further.

Sand spilled through a shattered window and blotted the city beyond. He shook his hair free of sand and moved through the building. Minerva stood behind a counter. Shattered glass shimmered like stars within empty display cases. Ludwig noticed a moldy husk that, judging from the label, was once a cake.

"Do you think those things followed us?" Luigi whispered harshly. He pinched his frizzy mustache straight.

The others spilled in one by one. Muffled wails echoed from beyond the time-worn walls. Ludwig's beleaguered breathing echoed off the low ceiling.

Minerva held her index finger to her lips, and she beckoned they follow.

Ludwig passed around the counter and moved further inside the bakery. His broad shoulders brushed the walls, and he tried his best to step lightly on the cracked tile floor.

Minerva flicked a flashlight on and pointed at the darkness.

They stood in the remains of a kitchen. Rusty counters lined the room. In the center, a sink basin packed with sand. She checked the darkest corners and raised her weapon, her breathing slowed, and her eyes hardened.

Ludwig glanced over his shoulder and watched his one escape. He flipped his eyepatch up and rubbed the irritation. His baked tongue scraped his soft palate. He downed a gulp of water from his canteen.

"I think we're safe for now," Minerva said, her voice even and muffled by the tight acoustics of the room.

Ludwig sighed. He made a quick head count and laid his supplies on the kitchen island. "Don't think I dropped anything back there."

Vine hoisted his emergency bag onto the counter and sifted past a first-aid kit and lifted a flashlight. He smiled and flicked the light on. "Thank the Stars, I thought I dropped something too," Vine wiped his brow on his sleeve.

Ludwig laid the radio transceiver on the counter, and he motioned for Junior to come close.

Junior obeyed reluctantly. He shifted his weight to his right leg and crossed his arms.

Ludwig tossed his flashlight to Junior, "Hold the light while I work, will ya?"

Junior caught the light and thumbed the switch.

Ludwig brushed the sand from the gauges. He flicked the switch on, and an orange light shimmered. He twisted a few dials and static hissed.

"Let's see if we can get this dinosaur running," Ludwig whispered.

Junior stifled a yawn, and the light moved from the radio.

Ludwig growled. "Can't you do this one simple thing for me?"

Junior's eyes narrowed, "can you stop being an ass every chance you get?"

Ludwig grumbled curses and grabbed the microphone. He pressed a black button where the markings had faded, "Kaspar, are you out there?"

White noise. Ludwig shook his head and fiddled with the dials. "Kaspar?"

The mouse's voice sputtered. The static overpowered most syllables, "I...an bare..."

Ludwig drummed his finger on the transceiver. He flicked a dial. "How about now?"

"Better." Kaspar sounded like he spoke through layers of cloth and tin.

"The storm has gotten worse," Ludwig said slow and deliberate.

"Can...ee tha..."

"I think it's interfering with the radio," Ludwig said, he lowered his voice, "that or it's just a piece of junk."

"What was that?"

"Storm is interfering," Ludwig said hastily, "is Larry alright?"

"He's awake now."

Minerva sat on a sturdy counter and leaned forward, "any sign of the Bluecoats?"

Ludwig nodded, "any sign of the Bluecoats out there?"

"No, but it's..." and the static grew louder.

Ludwig pounded the transceiver, "say that again? Losing your transmission."

"It's hard to see out here. I think...'ee...people...city."

Ludwig's eyes widened, "do not go anywhere near them, I repeat, do not go anywhere near them."

Harsh static replied. Ludwig set the microphone down. The wind wailed louder and rattled the rooftop.

"Great," Ludwig's eyelid twitched, he drew a long breath and exhaled a hiss. He hooked his thumb under his eye patch and looked out into the room. His red eye glowed in the darkness.

"What do we do now?" Vine walked toward the door with his sword drawn.

"Our best bet is to wait this storm out," Mario removed his hat and ruffled his hair free of sand.

"Even if that storm leaves, what about those bones out there?" Junior's voice echoed off a rusty oven.

Ludwig rolled his eye and walked toward a staircase. He glanced up the flight of stairs and spikes of light illuminated the walls. Artificial light. He drew a slow breath and took the first step.

Wood groaned. Ludwig's eye's widened. His foot punched through. The crack was deafening in the silence.

Minerva stomped to Ludwig and reared her hand to strike, "you're going to bring this whole damn building on us, idiot."

"Shush," Daisy held her index finger to her lips, and she joined Vine at the doorway.

Ludwig held his breath and listened for rattling bones and footsteps.

Ludwig yanked his foot free from the staircase and rubbed his tender calf. White scratches marred the yellowish layer of scales. He brushed off the splinters with little effort "There's something up there, I know it."

Minerva lowered her hand. She looked up the flight of stairs, and she shook her head. "It's too dangerous, who knows if the boards will hold any of us."

"Maybe if we send someone small up there." Daisy joined Ludwig and Minerva. She scratched her chin.

Vine trained his attention on the hall, "we're better off finding a better place to hide."

All eyes were on him now. His shoulders slumped and scoffed.

"Come on guys," Vine rolled his eyes, "I'm not that small."

"You're the smallest one here," Junior smirked.

Mario raised his hands and stepped away. "They're right. It's not me for once."

Vine made way for the staircase, "I hate all of you."

Vine stared at Ludwig's cavernous footprint. He eased his weight on the next step up. The wood creaked beneath his feet. He clenched his eyes shut and pushed forward.

"It looks like it might hold," Luigi whispered.

The others gathered at the base of the stairs and watched Vine make his ascent.

Vine gripped the tarnished guardrail, working his way step by step. The darkness was thick enough to taste.

"What did you do this summer, son?" Vine mumbled, "oh, nothing ma, nearly got myself killed exploring a structurally unstable house and eaten by zombies in some forsaken patch of desert."

"You say something?" Mario called up to him.

"I'm gathering my courage," Vine gulped as he cleared the staircase. The floor was sturdier on the second story. His boots clomped on the ground and sand spilled from his boot wells and scattered on the floor.

The wind whispered through small holes on the roof and sand threaded the holes like an hourglass. Vine squinted as his eyes adjusted to the low light. A flickering lamp dangled from a nail in the wall. A wretched stench blasted his face.

Vine gasped and covered his mouth.

"What is it?" Ludwig's thicker voice rattled the wood and nearly sent Vine through the roof.

Vine peeked down the staircase and hissed, "shut up."

The party at the stairs shuffled in silence.

Vine explored the upper level carefully. A small pile of sand had formed where the holes in the roof were largest. Boards and cloth sealed the windows. He tiptoed toward the lamp and squinted.

"Who left you here?" He whispered. Vine reached to take the lamp from its perch.

A soft 'thwip' caught his attention, a thick board struck the crown of his head. His spotted cap fluttered to the ground, and he dropped on his back. Vine blinked away the pain and rubbed his blond hair back into place.

Vine groaned and pulled himself to his feet.

A flat board smashed the wall behind him. A mangy mass of rusty nail heads protruded from the back. He checked himself for blood and sighed with relief when he found no sign of injury.

Vine looked at the ceiling and saw a thick latch that once held the board in place. A loose strand of nylon wire dangled from the lamp's handle. Vine lifted the electric lantern and shook it.

"Are you alright?" Mario shouted up at him.

"I'm fine," Vine called down, "there are booby traps up here." He peeled back the board and saw a bed of nails stick in all directions. "Floor is quite sturdy, though. Someone's been making repairs." Vine hopped a few times to emphasize.

Mario and Minerva threw caution to the wind and crawled up the stairs after him and saw the remains of the trap.

"Barely missed the nails," Vine rubbed the crown of his head.

Mario nodded, "an inch lower and you'd be a pin cushion."

Vine sighed, "yeah, thank the Stars I'm so short." His lips pursed and his face burned crimson the moment he reflected on what he said.

Mario picked up Vine's cap and dropped it on the Toad's head. Mario aimed his flashlight light at the floor and saw thick sheets of plywood. He rubbed his mustache and carefully inched around the room.

Minerva followed the upper landing to a bedroom. The door long since rotted off and she could see inside. A dirty bedroll bunched in a corner. A pile of open pie filling cans lay discarded on the floor.

Minerva searched the floor for more trip wires and, when she felt it was safe, she stepped inside. "Come get a look at this."

Mario stepped into the room with her. Vine waited in the doorway.

"No kidding, someone's living here." Mario rifled through the bedroll in the corner.

Adolescent buzzing-beetles scattered from the bedroll. Greasy hammer troop bones and armor clanked to the floor. The blackened fingers broke off as Mario moved the bedroll. The remaining musculature on the face stretched in a devastated rictus.

"Was living here," Vine mumbled.

Mario pinched his nose and stepped back. He dropped the bedroll. It rippled and more beetles spilled from it. A thick leather book lay in the hammer troop's rib cage. Mario steeled his nerves and pulled it free. It was sticky, and it reeked of spoiled meat.

"Ugh, put that back," Vine covered his face, "we don't need to give the dead a reason to attack."

"I'm not sure if this one is coming back." Mario whispered, he stared at the bedroll and then at the bones, "but you have a point."

Mario loaded the bones into the bedroll and dragged them back downstairs. Minerva and Vine followed close behind.

"Jeez Mario, what'd you find up there, a dead body?" Luigi covered his face.

Mario nodded and exited the kitchen with the sack of bones.

Luigi's face went pale, and he collapsed in Daisy's arms.

Mario found the front door, and he stared at the sandstorm. He waited for any signs of life or, rather, unlife. When there was no movement, he hurled the bedroll and bones as far as he could, and he stepped back into the kitchen.

Daisy cradled Luigi's head in her lap and stroked his cheek. She laughed at him, her countenance bright in the darkness. He smiled back at her.

"Looks like you found something else up there," Ludwig crossed his arms.

"Only a book," Mario held the thick leather tome above his head, and then he laid it on the island and shined his flashlight on the cover.

Junior and Ludwig gathered at Mario's sides eager to look inside. Mario peeled back the cover. The pages crackled and dust spilled out. Mario squinted at the lettering.

"Sheesh, I can't tell this stuff from Chinese," Mario shook his head.

"It's an old Darklander cuneiform script," Ludwig leaned closer, "here let me."

Ludwig followed the notched script with his claws as Junior held a flashlight on the pages. Ludwig mouthed the words. His eyes were heavy with focus.

"It's a diary," Ludwig said. "Claw-Toe of the hammer tribe. He's a long way from home."

Ludwig flipped through the pages for the latest date and saw smeared and stained rusty brown blood stains. He peeled the sheets apart and tried to decipher it.

"The light, it's following me, the light," he skipped a few illegible sentences, "I can hear her in the walls and my dreams."

"Stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake," Ludwig followed the text and saw an assortment of tally marks. The words 'hours of light' were scrawled in the margin. Ludwig delicately turned the page, but the binding gave, and the entire page pulled free of the book.

Ludwig stifled a curse and tucked the page back in place.

"It's mostly nonsense," Ludwig shook his head, "there's one bit about rotten peaches and dwindling water," Ludwig pointed to a passage, "which means he may have been hallucinating due to spoiled food."

Ludwig turned the pages back in search of further answers.

"Ah, here's something," Ludwig cleared his throat, "finally, our journey has come to an end. The four of us were able to approach the city limits without drawing the ire of the Bluecoats. I'm certain they don't know we're even here."

"Storms and more storms. The town is in constant turmoil. Fortunately, we found this abandoned building to suit our needs until the storm has passed."

Ludwig thumbed the page aside.

"It's a bakery! The pantry is stocked with jarred preserves that are still safe to eat. Our supplies are ample enough to wait out this storm."

Ludwig cleared his throat, "oh, that's not good," he thumbed through the pages, "according to this they waited nearly half a week and there was no sign of the storm stopping."

Mario squeezed the counter, "keep reading."

"The Fire-Brand decided he would scout through the storms. Good riddance -" Ludwig skipped ahead, "he has not returned. He won't return. There is something out there."

Ludwig sighed, and he skimmed the text.

"We found what remains of our brothers. Horrible reanimated parodies of our people. I can't wait to find the treasure and get out of here."

Ludwig smirked, "bingo. They were looking for treasure too."

"The inner city is swarming with Bluecoats. They move in and out unharmed. I think they are responsible for these creatures, somehow. Bander managed to steal a few of their cloaks. We will try and sneak in tonight."

"They do not take off their masks. Such strange people. They hardly eat, hardly speak. It makes it easy to blend in. However, there is no way to pry information. Bander has tracked down a patrol. I hope he knows what he is doing."

The others were seated in a loose circle around Ludwig now. Vine rested his head on his fists, and he cocked his head.

Ludwig cleared his throat and began reading again, "idiot, idiot, idiot. Bander blew his cover. The Bluecoats have captured him, and I ran like a dreadful coward. I saw them taking him to the mines. I will not allow another to be sacrificed to this wretched city. Hammer brother or not."

Ludwig turned the page, and he frowned. There was globs of dried blood and messy phrases. Ludwig tried to decipher some semblance of sense. "Bander is gone. They're all gone. Can't sleep. I can hear them. They crawl into my mouth while I sleep. Can't sleep."

"The rest of the book is more of the same." Ludwig folded the book shut and set it down.

"Whatever he found down there..." Junior grimaced, "Ludwig, I want to go home."

"It's too late for that now, kid." Vine sighed, and he patted Junior's arm.

"And need I remind you that we might not have a home to return to?" Ludwig whispered.

For once in years he saw only a child. Junior his eyes moistened, and he hugged his knees tight to his chest.

Ludwig scratched his chin. "Junior, Amanita has that sword. All she needs is to nick Bowser, or Lemmy, or Iggy, or anyone else we care about, and they'll be gone."

Junior stood and walked away.

"I won't let anything happen to you, alright?" Ludwig sighed, and he reached out to grab his brother.

Junior shoved him off.

"I mean it." Ludwig clenched his fist. "Listen, maybe you were right. Maybe I should have just listened to," Ludwig groaned, "listened to dad."

Junior stopped, and he glanced over his shoulder.

"It would have failed, don't get me wrong," Ludwig dragged a claw through his hair, "but I can deal with plain old Mario and Luigi. I can lick my wounds and recover from that. All of this," he gestured to the room, "Stars in heaven, I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to win for once."

Junior turned and faced Ludwig.

"I was tired of being a loser," Ludwig said. He lifted his eye-patch, and both eyes were shimmering in the dark and the pupils trembled.

"Me too," Junior whispered.

Mario cleared his throat.

Ludwig stomped the ground, "what? I'm having a moment here."

Mario put his index finger to his lips and then pointed at his ear.

Ludwig cocked his head and listened. There was a dull hum beneath the raging storm and the rattling winds. "Is that an Auto?"

Vine exited the kitchen, and Junior tailed him. They jogged to the front door, and Vine lay prone on the ground. Vine squinted, his hands cupped above his eyes to block the sand and the wind. A shadow zoomed through the thoroughfare. Pounds of sand exploded in all directions and covered Vine.

Junior uprooted the toad and dusted him off.

"What was that?" Vine sneezed.

Ludwig stood in the doorway while Mario peeked outside. Treadmarks cleaved a path in the sand. Mario squinted.

Bones clicked and rattled. The resonant thuds of heavy footfalls shook the buildings around them.

Ludwig turned, and he saw a massive beast composed of bones. It lugged its titanic body and squeezed into the narrow roads.

Smaller bone creatures hobbled at its ankles and sprinted to keep up.

Several of the stragglers paused. Their skulls swiveled on nonexistent joints, and white flames gazed upon the crew.

"Run." Luigi yelped.

X-X-X

Cheatsy held a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He followed the treasure hunters before they vanished from view. Cheatsy lowered the binoculars. His upper lip scrunched, "there they go."

"Stars help 'em," Roy said. He sat on a crate and sipped his canteen. Winds raged and the storm whipped his face. He covered his mouth and stepped back.

Kaspar manned the transceiver; his mouse ears flinched with the static. He twisted dials and held a pair of headphones to his ear. His tail twitched, and he squinted. "That should do it." He set the headphones down, and he joined Roy and Cheatsy.

"Now all we need to do is wait," Kaspar clapped his hands of dust, "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"You know, for a smuggler, you're a bad liar," Roy picked his teeth.

"Please, it's not lying, it's optimism."

"Same difference," Roy shook his head and lifted his welding goggles. He picked sand from the wells of his eyes. His nostrils tingled, and he sneezed.

"Is there going to be anything worthwhile in that dump?" Cheatsy gestured at the settlement with his chin and laid back. He tucked his hands behind his head and his elbows crooked upward.

"If they find it? Maybe," Roy inspected his bandaged hands. The cuts beneath stung. He winced.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened out there?" Kaspar said.

"I do mind you asking," Roy mumbled.

Larry shuffled inside his tent and called out, "how long was I out?"

"Only a few minutes, squirt," Roy mumbled.

Larry eased himself up, and he scratched his stomach. He brushed his lap clean of sand.

"I remember hearing stories about Lapiston before the war," Kaspar watched the horizon, "my grandfather called it 'the desert sapphire.'"

Roy nodded, "there was this big network of mines underneath the city, and they were full of lapis lazuli. They called it 'blue gold' and decorated the town every frigging shade of blue you can imagine. Hard to see it now, on account of that storm."

Cheatsy focused his binoculars on the sandstorm and tried his best to make out colors that had not been weathered by sand and time. He licked his lips and tightened the magnification.

"Well whatever you did to it, it isn't a sapphire anymore," Cheatsy mumbled.

Roy scowled at him, but the corners of his lips faltered, and he sighed.

Cheatsy climbed from his post and put his fist on his hip, "why won't you tell us?

Roy shook his head.

"Secrets and more secrets. Is it any wonder why you and your family are in such disarray?" Kaspar twirled his fingers.

"Shut up," Roy spit in Kaspar's direction, and his throat grumbled.

"Why is it a secret?" Larry yawned, his head peered from the tent flaps. His drowsy eyes transitioned into wakeful curiosity.

"Larry I," Roy bit the inside of his cheek, "wait, did you crawl? You're not supposed to move on that leg!"

"I already heard you tell Luddy it's because you don't remember, or was that a lie?" Larry cocked his head.

"Well, I mean, I remember coming to Lapiston, but the rest...it's a blur."

Larry waited for Roy to continue. Cheatsy and Kaspar gathered in a loose circle around him.

"Sheesh, do you have to look at me like that?" Roy rubbed the back of his neck.

"You forgot?" Rocky said.

Rocky peered from the driver seat of the truck. His white muzzle peeked over the window. He crossed his arms and rested his chin on his forearms.

"With all due respect, sir, that's a bit of a stretch," Rocky's lips tightened.

Konrad snored in the passenger seat beside Rocky. A book covered his eyes, and his hands rested on his stomach.

Roy bit his tongue. The radio exploded with static.

"...aspar?"

Konrad stirred awake and dropped the book. Rocky fumbled with the door and leaped to the ground, and he ran towards the radio.

Kaspar pressed talk and cleared his throat, "Repeat that, I can barely hear you."

The static sputtered and clicked, and Ludwig spoke. "Can you hear me now?"

"Better."

"Storm...worse..."

Kaspar turned from the radio, and he saw the storm that had encased Lapiston spread inch by inch. The wild winds throbbed like boiling pitch. "I can see that."

"...interfering...piece of..."

"What was that?"

"Storm is interfering," Ludwig's voice faded, "is Larry alright?"

Kaspar looked at the brothers. "He's awake now."

There was mumbling from the other end.

"Any sign of the Bluecoats?"

Kaspar turned to Cheatsy. The mock-koopaling shook his head, and he scanned the horizon with binoculars. Cheatsy lowered the binoculars and rubbed his eyes before checking again.

"No Bluecoats, but I think I see something moving in the city," Cheatsy shouted.

Kaspar relayed the message.

"Do..." Ludwig's voice disappeared in a blizzard of static.

"Ludwig?" Kaspar rapped the transceiver box and twisted a dial, "Ludwig? Can you hear me?"

Roy sighed.

"Well, what can we do?" Konrad shrugged. "We said we would guard the supplies."

"But what if they're in trouble." Larry sat up straight and stifled his pained breathing.

"Don't move so much," Roy mumbled and moved Larry back into the tent.

"Uh, guys," Cheatsy lowered his binoculars, "the storm!"

Wind blasted him from his perch on the truck. The wind roared and their camp rumbled. The trucks buckled.

White flames flickered amid the dark sand. Roy covered his mouth and nostrils. The tent's stakes yanked up and buried Roy and Larry in the fabric. Roy tore his way free and carried Larry from the mess. The tattered remnants of tent escaped into the wind.

"Not good, not good," Kaspar dragged the transceiver back, and he twisted the dials.

Rocky fastened his goggles to his face and Konrad wrapped a cloth around his head. Cheatsy was last to join them, he held an armful of javelins and tripped in the sand. He scooped them up and ran close to Roy.

A motorbike roared and screeched above the storm.

Roy looked around. He felt a hand brush his ankle. "What is it, Larry?"

"I didn't say anything," Larry mumbled.

A spider-like creature made entirely of skeletal arms emerged from the sand and crawled up Roy. The pointed fingers dug into his throat and squeezed. He wrenched the bones from his face, and he stomped on them.

The cracked bones shivered and reassembled.

"Oh." Larry and Roy whispered.

Cheatsy jumped into the Dunecrawler and threw it into gear. The engine sputtered, the tires spun, sand scattered. "Get in!"

"He can drive?" Roy said and he looked at Larry. "You can drive?"

"Well sorta, one time I took dad's Kart for a spin, but we didn't make it far-" Larry shrugged, and Roy scooped up Larry and carried him to the Dunecrawler. He laid Larry in the backseat. Kaspar climbed in with the receiver.

Konrad ran, screaming, he beat a skeletal toad off his back, and he climbed into the backseat. "Get it off, get it off, oh Stars..."

Roy slapped Konrad. "Get ahold of yourself."

The Koopa curled in the back seat and rocked.

"You won't be able to fit," Larry shouted over the storm.

"I know, I know," Roy lifted the welding goggles and rubbed his eyes. "Keep moving, get somewhere safe."

Rocky skirted through the sand and climbed into one of the trucks, "and what do you think you're doing? No senseless sacrifices on my watch."

"I'm not sacrificing myself," Roy grimaced.

"You're negotiating my raise, don't forget," Rocky threw the truck into gear.

Roy scrambled to get on board. Skeletal monstrosities scratched Roy's ankles, and he yelped. Roy kicked his leg free. He struggled back.

The truck revved and Bluecoats emerged from the sand. They held their clubs and marched paces behind the dry and destitute creatures. "Rocky..."

The truck lurched into motion and picked up momentum. Rocky hit a decline. He slammed the brakes. The entire vehicle angled forward. Roy slammed against the wall and rubbed his head. Rocky screamed.

The truck jerked and buckled.

Boxes of supplies flew in all directions. Bricks rattled on the outside of the truck. A crumbling and metallic screeching set Roy's spine rigid. He dragged himself from the back of the truck and saw they had punched through several buildings.

Bricks scraped and jerked. Wood splintered. Roy fell from the back of the truck and dragged himself to his feet.

Rocky leaned over the steering wheel, motionless.

Roy yanked the door, but it wouldn't budge. He gritted his teeth and pulled harder. The hinges crunched, and the door wrenched free. Roy fell on his back; the wind knocked from him. He panted and tossed the door aside.

"Rocky?"

Rocky mumbled softly.

Roy checked the mole for injury.

No broken bones. Maybe bruised and a little dazed. Roy scooped the mole and ran. Dust and broken glass and sand rained from the ceiling.

Roy barreled his way outside, and he dove forward and shielded Rocky with his shell and body.

The building collapsed. A plume of debris belched from the windows and the doorways as it brayed a final death rattle. Roy pushed to his feet, and he carried Rocky in one arm.

Rocky gasped and clenched his fist to his heart.

"You alright?" Roy set Rocky down.

"The supplies!" Rocky pushed past Roy and stood at the edge of the ruins. "Stars, what have I done?"

"If the building collapse didn't get supplies, the Bluecoats would've stolen it," Roy said.

Rocky drew a slow breath.

A motor puttered, and a shadow emerged from the sand. Roy raised his fist, ready to strike. Cheatsy honked the horn.

"Rocky, you're alright," Konrad shouted.

"Five minutes and you wreck the truck, that's like a new record or something," Cheatsy smirked.

Undead creatures crawled from the crashed building and dragged their broken bodies through the sand. Roy inched back, and he dropped Rocky in the back of the Dunecrawler.

"We need to find somewhere to hide," Roy said.

"Hey, stupid, this thing," Cheatsy tapped on the wheel, "is tough to hide."

"But it can lure them away," Roy mumbled, "listen, you take Larry, and I'll drive-"

"Hold on a sec," Cheatsy held his index finger up, "no way am I carrying Larry. He's gotta be twice as heavy as me."

Roy sputtered and his face twisted into a helpless frown.

"You get the others to safety, and I'll distract them. Trust me, I will find you. One of you at least. You're all so big and stupid. It's pretty easy."

Roy shook his head. "Don't get yourself killed, alright."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Cheatsy revved the engine.

Roy scooped up Larry and swung him around to his shoulders. Larry grunted and fit himself between the spikes on Roy's shell and held on tight.

"He's right," Roy chuckled and grunted, "you've been eating well."

"Shut up, and move please," Larry's face burned crimson.

Roy saluted Cheatsy, and the mock-koopaling smirked. He sped off into the storm and the others huddled inside the nearest building. The Dunecrawler's engine faded and the wind overpowered the roar.

Roy internalized the soft and panicked breathing of his company. They struggled to remain silent. Larry's weight shifted on his back, and the smaller koopaling's splint scratched Roy's shell.

"Stop," Roy whispered.

"Slipping," Larry whined.

Roy pulled Larry from his back and set him against a wall.

Roy inspected his surroundings. Collapsed bookshelves spread around the room and several volumes lay on the ground like dead birds.

Roy crouched low, and he sidled along the wall with his stomach brushing the crumbling plaster. His tough feet crushed broken glass, and the shards stumbled from his thick soles. He stifled a gasp and held his breath.

Roy heard whispery footfalls, a thick 'clomp,' and the rattling of bones. He peeked around the window. A hobbling mass of skeletal undead limped aimlessly.

A Dry Bone composed of two conjoined hammer troops waddled in the sand. All four arms carried their namesake. It swung blindly in the storm and struck a spindly mass of toad bones.

Even in death they still quarreled. Roy shook his head.

Other lost souls meandered, groping and searching for those that disturbed their slumber. Roy's palms soaked in sweat. A distant engine roared. The lost souls snapped to attention. Their purpose redefined.

Roy grabbed Larry and hooked him on his back.

"You have any idea where we're going?" Larry said.

"Anywhere but here," Roy peered around a wall and scooped the air behind him.

Rocky drew his wrench from his belt and huddled close behind Roy. Konrad stood close to Rocky and tried his best to hide behind the squat mole. Kaspar kept close to Roy.

"Where's the radio?" Roy mumbled.

Kaspar's shoulders slumped. "Er, in the panic I may or may not have left it behind."

Roy clenched his fist and punched the wall. Dust rained from the ceiling. A brick lodged loose.

"Apologies, young master," Kaspar cowered.

Roy exhaled slow. He noticed Kaspar's trembling shoulders and his eyes softened.

"Thing was probably too damn heavy anyhow," Roy's nostrils flared, "I hope the others are alright."

Roy exited the bookshop and stepped onto the lifeless streets. Vendor carts protruded from sandy burials, and a long spent propane tank clanged and clinked down the road.

"Bookstore, bookstore," Roy tried his best to read the fallen sign.

Roy followed the stretch of buildings, climbing over debris and shoving aside broken wagons. He stopped at an outdoor cafe.

Rounded tables littered the street and sand spewed forth from the open air counter like bile from a sickly maw.

Roy froze. His jaw dropped. "I recognize this," Roy whispered. The memories hit him like a truck.

X-X-X

Roy gathered his courage, and he marched with pride. A small army ready to jump at his fingertips, and he fought right in the thick of things. The citizens of Lapiston offered no resistance.

The Koopa soldiers kicked down doors and cleared out homes. The search was on. Royal Hari crests, heirlooms, gear, anything to point towards the ex-royal guard.

Roy inspected the notes Ludwig drafted for Bowser. "Special sword?" Beside the message was a crude drawing of a scimitar. A wax rubbing of a vicious sun labeled 'Royal Family Crest' marked the bottom of the page.

"Find that symbol, find the treasures." Ludwig's notes declared.

"Captain," a Hammer-tribe troop ran to him. He wore a thick leather helmet and wielded a pendulous war hammer. He rested the bulk of the weapon on his shoulder, and he panted.

"What's going on?" Roy tried his best to sound regal and intimidating, but his cracking voice betrayed him.

"I think we've found something," the hammer troop said, he pointed his weapon toward a thoroughfare.

Roy broke from the group. A grin spread his lips, and Roy jogged after the hammer troop. Large-scale invasion and treasure hunting were way easier than he thought. He'd return to his father a hero and once the treasures were extracted the Mushroom Kingdom would wave a Koopa Clan banner for all to see.

Roy skidded on his heels, and he stood in front of a bakery.

"Really? We can pick up pastries after this is all said and done." Roy said.

The hammer troop groaned and stepped inside, beckoning Roy follow.

More soldiers waited inside. Several gathered at a table. Crumbs and smudged icing speckled crystal plates and the soldiers chattered in hushed voices. A pair of Koopa troops stood beside the table. They wore plated armor and spiked helmets. A mess of hammers scattered the countertops.

Stormguard? Roy cocked his head. That's a bit excessive for a bakery heist.

"It's this way sir," the hammer troop hopped the counter and ventured further inward.

Roy found the owner of the establishment in the kitchen.

The baker knelt on the ground, hands on the back of his head, his flour-dusted graying hair disheveled. His tanned skin was coarse with wrinkles. He had a hard face for baker.

The hammer troop saluted beside the door, hand over his chest.

A hammer troop bedecked in silver armor paced the baker. His bulky Stormguard helm betrayed the slightest hint of eyes. A lightning bolt symbol marked his pauldrons. He threw a broken picture frame at the baker's feet.

It was a faded photograph of a few soldiers at a table. Hari soldiers? Roy inspected it for himself, and though it was difficult to make out, he saw the vaguest outline of the sun on their breastplates.

"What's going on Tack?" Roy stood beside the captain.

"He knows something about the royal guard," the Stormguard captain lifted a hammer from the counter and held it to the baker's head.

Roy snorted, and he stood to his full height.

"Alright, spit it out," Roy tried to imagine his father when he worked. How prisoners quaked in their boots and abandoned their principles rather than face his wrath.

The baker yawned. His eyes were soft, despite the hard face they inhabited His lips pursed tight.

"Answer him!" Tack kicked the baker's stomach.

The baker doubled over. His eyes widened, and he coughed.

Roy's fingers twitched. No, that's too much force. He wanted to step forward, to reprimand his troop. He felt his father's eyes on his back.

No weakness. No mercy. If Roy couldn't convince a harmless old man to take him seriously, how did he expect to lead troops?

Roy leaned closer and flashed his pointed teeth, "we can do this the easy way-"

"Or the hard way?" The baker flashed his teeth. "Kid, you need to try harder than that."

Roy's smiled disappeared. All reservations ceased. He struck the baker with the back of his hand and pressed his head into the solid tile floor. "I can break your head like an egg, you understand?"

"You remind me of your grandfather, he was full of hot air too," the baker wheezed. He gasped, and Roy pressed more weight onto the baker's head, "easy," the baker choked,

"kill me...no secret."

Roy's shoulders slumped, and he took his hand off the baker's head, "secret? So you were part of the old Hari guard then."

"Old Hari guard? Now, where'd you get an idea like that?" The baker wiped the blood from his lip.

"Don't play stupid," Roy pointed at the photograph on the floor, "I've seen that symbol before."

The baker shrugged, "and I have no idea what you're talking about."

Roy picked his teeth, "I only need your mouth working, so again, I can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Roy grabbed the baker's hand and dragged him toward a stove. His insides ached, and his heart raced. He hated himself and what he was doing, but to stop now would betray his progress.

Roy switched the stove on and the gas burner clicked. Blue flames erupted in the base. They licked the stove grates. Roy held the baker's hand above the fire.

The old man glared and he fought Roy's grip.

Roy struck the man's face, and he fell limp. The baker's breathing slowed, and he tasted the sour bite of fear. Roy's gut begged him to stop.

"Please don't make me do this," Roy whispered.

A frying pan twisted through the air and struck Roy's head. His glasses bounced askew. The light blinded him. He roared and, in the struggle, he dropped the baker.

Soldiers shouted. Metal clashed on metal, a hammer troop gargled and moaned. Roy blinked the spots from his vision, and one of his soldiers lay on the ground. Blood sputtered from his neck. Roy covered his mouth.

A boy not much older than Ludwig held a curved sword in front of him. He tossed another scimitar to the baker. They stood back to back with their weapons raised.

"I told you to run," the baker hissed.

"It's just a couple of koopas, we can handle 'em," Fulcan clutched his curved sword with both hands. A sun-shaped insignia marked the hilt.

Roy's heart raced.

Tack stepped forward. More soldiers flooded the kitchen, "we only need one of them alive."

The Koopa troops swarmed, and Roy's forearms tightened.

Fulcan danced between two soldiers. Fulcan deflected spear strikes, and he laid them out with the curved blade. The curve gouged a soldier's arm to the bone. Fulcan spun on his heel and landed a killing blow to the neck.

Roy watched the hammer soldier fall to the ground. Roy gagged. He stumbled backward and crashed into an oven.

The baker raised his sword to high guard and advanced on Tack.

Tack blocked the sword mid-strike and riposted with his elbow.

The baker staggered back; blood streamed down his nose and chin.

Tack swung overhead, shifting his weight with the hammer's momentum.

The Baker grit his teeth. He had no time for a proper parry. Instead he raised his sword to block. The blade shattered under pressure. His wrist folded back, and he cried out.

Fulcan screamed and he shifted to face his fallen father. Fulcan charged Tack, his teeth grit.

Tack stepped back and swung his hammer.

Fulcan blasted back and knocked down hard. His cuirass dented inward and cracked. Fulcan wheezed his eyes fluttered.

Tack stood over Fulcan, he cracked his neck and raised the hammer. The hammerhead's shadow crossed over Fulcan's nose. Fulcan closed his eyes.

"Stop!" A girl had been watching from the staircase. Her blond bangs stretched over her dark skin. "Stop fighting."

"How many of you roaches are there," Tack panted.

"Please, stop," the girl was hysterical now.

"Why should we?" Roy lowered his voice in an attempt to sound harsh.

The blond girl knelt beside her father, she looked at his hands and hesitated to touch them. Her eyes watered.

The baker trembled, "dammit, why?"

"Fulcan," she blubbered, "he..."

"Enough of this," Tack kicked Fulcan and shoved Minerva, "you know what we're here for."

"Speak up," Roy approached.

"Don't-" the baker stood, and Tack kicked him back to the ground.

"He wasn't talking to you," Tack snapped.

The baker's daughter bit her knuckle and backed toward a cabinet. She laid her hand on the counter, and she stared at Roy. Her legs buckled.

"It's the treasure or your family," Roy pointed at the baker, "what's it going to be?"

"I'll take you, alright? I'll do what you want, stop hurting him."

Roy nodded.

Tack grabbed the baker's bicep and dragged him to his nudged the son with the hammer, "up with you."

The girl led them to the front door, the Koopa troop stationed beside the door threatened her with a spear. The pointed blade stroked the back of her shirt.

Roy shoved the soldier with his elbow, "enough of that," he whispered.

Roy walked into the main street and found his forces were absent. Roy's neck twitched. He bared his teeth and stepped to the front of the line.

"Sir?" Tack cocked his head.

"We've got company." Roy glanced toward the rooftops.

A black mallet twisted through the air and Roy snatched it.

"Nice catch!" Mario whooped from his rooftop post and hurled a fireball. The flames licked Roy's face and singed his hairs. He snarled, and he staggered back.

"How'd he get here so quick?" A soldier shrieked and dove for cover as a winged Yoshi swooped and carried him away.

The winged monster landed beside Mario.

"Yoshis with wings," Roy grumbled, and he turned to Tack, "I'll hold him off, do what you have to get the treasure."

Tack nodded, and he dragged the baker's family away.

Mario leaped from his building perch and slipped down a lamp post. His flying companion circled overhead and barraged Roy's soldiers with dragon's breath. The yoshi smirked and spat a glob of molten gunk.

A Koopa troop erupted in flame, he threw off his shell and ran for cover, but Mario was on the move.

The red-clad terror kicked the shell and it careened toward Roy.

Roy knocked the shell aside and slammed Mario with his shoulder.

The plumber skid down the road on his back. Mario rolled into the momentum kicked back to his feet. He scooped his hat from the ground.

Roy paced Mario. His claws raised. His teeth bared. His eyes honed kill.

Mario's stride was casual. Almost cheerful.

Roy growled. Mario was taking it easy on him, treating him like a kid. Big mistake. Roy smirked and charged Mario.

Mario shifted his weight on his heels. He sprinted the opposite direction toward a cafe. His thick-soled boots scuffed the pavement, and he slid beneath a table.

Roy tried to halt his momentum, but inertia won out. He crashed into the circular table and landed on his stomach. Mario stood in the center of the cafe while soldiers and POWs alike watched.

Mario skittered through the cafe.

"Get back here!" Roy hurled the tables in all directions, swinging with abandon, smashing all but the plumber.

Mario pulled an orange flower badge from his pocket and slapped it on the back of his glove.

Mario opened his palm, and a flame brewed between his open fingers. He tossed the fireball. It arched overhead and smacked Roy's face.

The koopaling gasped, he stumbled back, and Mario drop-kicked his gut.

Roy clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees.

"Give it up. The Stonekeeper Militia is on the way." Mario wiped his forehead clean.

Roy snarled and fought to stand his knees buckled. He launched into a dead-set sprint. Koopa soldiers spilled into the streets, weapons raised, hands trembling, the whites of their eyes glowed.

What sort of horrible realm spawned Mario? Roy heard it was called "Brooklyn" and the syllables sent a chill down his spine. He imagined a city of Marios.

Mario leaped in a high arc and crashed down like a meteor. Mario laid out a Koopa soldier and knocked the weapon out of his hand. Mario kicked the immobilized troop, the koopa spun out sidelong, and bowled a small platoon.

A squad of masked nomadimice bombarded the invaders from above. Purple explosives hit the ground, and black powder stink hit Roy's nose. A lithium lavender flame erupted from the bombs.

A Koopa troop soared over Roy's head and smashed through a window. The others turned to him, a mere child, and they expected a rousing tactical turnabout.

"We need to retreat," Roy whispered, "retreat!"

Roy gathered his wits and ran. Despite the superior number of the Koopa force, Mario tipped the scales. The MK's darling hero punched through squad after squad. The purple bombs ceased, and the mice ambushed from the ground.

Hammer and spear met shamshir and scimitar.

A barrage of twirling black hammers blotted the light and Roy could see once more.

Mario halted in his tracks and dove for cover.

The throwing-hammers shattered white adobe walls, they tore open cloth awnings, and they crushed a fruit vendor's stall. Squashed bits of watermelon and bananas streaked the ground.

Tack's Stormguard troops ran past Roy, and they met the battle in the streets. They beat back Mario with a barrage of hammers. A heavyset Sledge troop pushed forward, sledgehammers in both hands. He smashed a hole in the Nomadimice forces.

Roy climbed to his feet, and his fingers flexed. He stared at his troops and he felt the weight of their expectations on his shoulders. Roy's feet sunk into the soil like lead bricks.

The Sledge troop tossed Roy a red-crystal scepter.

Roy caught the weapon and brandished it. Sparks sputtered from the tip. Roy clutched the wand with both hands and swung it like a sword.

Flames jettisoned from the tip and hooked like a falchion blade.

Roy immolated one of the desert mice.

The masked soldier shrieked and hit the ground. He rolled, the sand doused some of the flames, but the Embercraft raged. The air reeked of cooked meat and burned cloth.

Roy covered his mouth and dropped the scepter.

To see it up close and to see it for real.

Roy's stomach bubbled. He picked up the scepter and prayed for a way to snuff the flames. A nomadimouse smelled his weakness and twisted around his brother.

Roy barely saw the glistening blade before he moved to block.

The Sledge soldier slammed the mouse into the ground. The mouse twitched, and the Sledge soldier smashed him again. The soldier cleaned his hammer in the sand.

The Stormguard crushed the resistance. For every one Stormguard that fell, three mice died. The reality of the carnage hit Roy.

Roy's jaw slacked, "you," Roy gulped, "he's…"

"Snap out of it kid," the Sledge soldier picked up the scepter.

"We weren't supposed to kill anyone," Roy said.

"Yeah, well plans have changed," the sledge soldier presented Roy the scepter.

Roy shook his head.

"You mean to tell me the head of this op doesn't have the stomach for warfare," the Sledge troop rubbed his temple, "Bowser's lost it."

Roy's nostrils twitched. He snatched the scepter from the Sledge soldier's hand. Roy squeezed the brass handle and the crystal flashed.

Mario scooped up a discarded throwing-hammer, and he slid between the Sledge troop's legs. Mario's brow tensed. He kicked to his feet and smashed the Sledge troop's back. The Sledge troop dropped to his knees.

Roy aimed the scepter at Mario's chest.

Mario tossed the mallet and knocked Roy's forehead.

Roy's maw clamped on his tongue and Roy yowled. His ears rang. He stumbled, and his scepter slipped from his fingers.

Mario snatched the sceptre and exhaled slowly.

"Alright, Roy," Mario's mustache twitched, "no more running. Call off the soldiers."

Roy smirked, "and since when can you use one of Kamek's scepters?"

"Can't be that hard," Mario flexed his fingers. Mario's fire-flower badge glowed. The tip of the scepter sparked.

Roy gulped. The heat of the scepter beat the desert sun. Sweat trickled down his forehead. "How are you doing that?"

The scepter hummed. A piercing whine tingled Roy's teeth. Roy gasped and dove to the right. He covered his head.

"It's easy," Mario's brow waxed uncertain, "like using one of those badges. Focus on the pin and then you-"

A pillar of oscillating flame spewed from the scepter and obliterated a chunk of wall. Soldiers scattered, and Roy crawled to safety. Roy staggered to his feet and ran from the fire and the carnage.

The Hammer soldiers watched their leader abandon them, but the fight would not end.

Roy ran until his lungs threatened to quit. He ran until his calves pulsed, ready to burst. He ran until his shame caught up with him.

The air was deathly still and oppressed Roy.

Bowser's third eldest son stood before the Lapis Lazuli mines. Hammer troops guarded the entrance. Mushroomer mine workers knelt on the ground with hands behind their heads. Their faces were scummy, and their hands stained sky blue

"Boss? What happened?" A hammer troop rested his battle hammer on his shoulder and cocked his head.

"Mario and a firestorm...and..." Roy shook his head, incredulous, "mice?"

"Guess it was only a matter of time." The hammer troop laughed, and he looked at his fellows. "We can handle this, right?"

Roy wanted to fall to his knees and sob. He missed his mother. He missed his home.

Roy mumbled, "did Captain Tack make his way here?"

"Yes sir, he descended into the mines not too long before you arrived."

"I have to talk to him," Roy puffed up his chest, and he tried to imagine what his dad would say, "no plumbers or mice get into this mine alive, got it?"

"Roger!"

Roy ducked into the claustrophobic black that was the Lapiston mine.

X-X-X

"Roy?" Larry knocked on the back of Roy's head. "You still there?"

Roy blinked twice. He passed through the broken cafe and followed a trail from years ago. A metal scepter poked from a pile of sand. The Magicrystal pried from the head years ago. Roy's nostrils seared and the sand dried his lips. He uncapped his canteen and fought for a gulp of water and gagged down the muddy sand.

A long trail of shattered bones and tread tracks lead down an alleyway. "Cheatsy," he whispered, and he followed the mess. His heart sunk as the trail led down a familiar thoroughfare.

The baker and his family walked this street. They might have spent wistful afternoons escaping the summer heat in the cafe's shade. They might have lived. Everyone might have lived.

Roy trembled before the broken corpse of a once bustling bakery. The windows were shattered, and a bedroll covered in greasy bones lay in the sand. Roy gagged. He stepped around the sack of bones.

"All the sands kicked up," Rocky mumbled, "there was a tussle not too long ago."

Kaspar inched into the establishment, and he sniffed the air. "Yes, yes, I think our fellow explorers took shelter here."

"You sure it wasn't the Bluecoats?" Roy inspected the building.

"Extra certain," Kaspar lifted a torn eye patch and showed Roy.

Roy's eyes narrowed, "stick close and keep an eye out. We might not be alone."

A broken lantern lay on the kitchen floor and speckles of broken glass mingled with the sand.

Sparks flashed in the dark, and the remains of a black box transceiver pulsated. Its dials fluttered like eyes giving the ghost, and its wires were a complex array of spilled organs.

Roy frowned. He imagined Ludwig frantically phoning for help. The others fought hordes of bones and bandits.

"Get a load of this." Rocky pointed at a staircase.

The stairs, or what remained, were a craggy wreck.

Larry peeked around his head, "Stars, what could've done that?"

Roy squinted and grabbed a tuft of blue hair dangling from a broken bit of stair. "I have a few ideas."

"He must've been moving fast to make up there without falling, wonder what was chasing him," Larry mumbled and squinted at the second-floor landing.

"Hey! You guys up there?" Rocky shouted.

The others shushed him and glared.

"What? Maybe they are."

Roy waited for a response, and when none came, he growled. "Either their corpses are up there, or they had to get down somehow."

"A window," Larry shifted his weight, "maybe they jumped."

"Worth a check," Roy said.

Roy dashed out of the bakery and searched around the side alley. Sure enough, glass and wood scattered the ground. A pile of blankets and a rotten mattress lined the bottom.

"No bodies, that's a good sign, right?" Larry whispered. "Right?"

Roy shook his head, "I hope so. I can't tell Bowser his heir's a zombie." Roy mumbled.

"Are they zombies?" Larry cocked his head.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Rocky shrugged.

"No, zombies have flesh and eat flesh," Konrad whispered, "these are like revenants or something. You see those eyes? Definitely vengeful spirits."

"Zombies are just the walking dead aren't they?" Rocky snipped.

"Konrad has a point," Larry said, "and shooting zombies in the head kills them."

"Shooting anything in the head kills it," Roy rolled his eyes.

"Not these bone-freaks," Larry hissed.

Roy shook his head and opened his mouth to argue when a shadow emerged at the end of the alley. Roy tensed, his arms raised in a fighting stance.

"Uh, Roy," Larry tapped his shoulder and hooked his thumb backward.

Bluecoats surrounded them. Their cloaks fluttered in the storm.

The crew lined up back to back. Rocky raised his wrench. Roy raised his fists. Larry ducked behind Roy's shell.

"Come and get some you azure troglodytes," Konrad shouted and hid behind Rocky.

Roy swallowed. Space closed tighter and tighter. Soon the Bluecoats were upon them.


	13. The White Mouth Of Infinity

###  **Chapter 13: The White Mouth Of Infinity**

The dead clogged causeways and piled onto each other. Bones linked to bones and the amalgamates sprinted. Junior tripped. He scraped his knees on the ground. He turned and saw the horde approaching. Junior yelped. His shell bounced against his back; the travel pack hidden beneath his shell soaked in sweat.

"We can't keep this up, there's too many of them," Vine gasped. His face smeared coal-miner black.

"Well we can't stick around and fight either," Luigi sucked breath through his nose.

Junior grabbed a fist-sized rock and hurled it. The stone knocked a Dry Koopa's skull off its shoulders. It shuddered a moment while its head reassembled.

Luigi tripped in the sand and landed on his rump, and he scooted on his back.

Daisy grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him to his feet.

A pair of shambling creatures reached for Luigi's head.

Mario grabbed the creature's exposed tibia and yanked it free. The warm bone writhed in Mario's hands. Mario grimaced and wielded the arm like a club.

The skeletal koopa troop staggered back. Its hinged jaw cracked.

Mario smacked its head off with the thick of the arm, and the skull skipped across the sand.

The mob grew. Every possible escape closed second by second. Ludwig clenched his fist.

The ground rumbled, Ludwig staggered.

All eyes followed the noise. A chthonic bone demon rounded the corner. The Dry Behemoth's heads were many. All of its flaming eyes gazed beyond time. Interlocked radii and ulna assembled its forearms; a symphony of skeletal finger digits formed its claws. Weaker buildings crumbled as it dragged its mass through the narrow thoroughfares.

Luigi's jaw dropped. Daisy grabbed his sleeve and yanked him towards her. Vine's sword hand trembled.

"We gotta move," Mario inched backward.

Minerva bellowed a war cry and fought the oncoming horde. A Dry Toad caught her elbow wrenched the weapon from her hands. The sand split open beneath and ivory fingers snagged her ankle. Another Dry Koopa scratched the back of her neck.

Minerva grabbed a loose brick from the ground and smashed the fingers and crawled to safety. Blood matted her hair.

Further down the road, atop a pile of crumbling wreckage, Minerva saw him. The bandit leader waited. His teal coat flailed in the sandstorm.

The Dry Bones ignored the bandit and shambled toward their entrapped prey. Minerva weighed the dusty brick in her hand. Her eyes trained on the teal bandit.

"We have to force our way through, he's not getting away this time," Minerva dashed to the narrow choke-point and grabbed Mario's shoulder.

Mario popped his knuckles. "Better get to work then."

Minerva pounded skulls until the brick crumbled to dust and she kicked the Dry Bones back with her boot heels.

Vine ran to her right flank. He snatched a rusty pipe from a pile of debris. He beat back a skeletal Hammer troop. A toad-koopa amalgamate smashed a window and dove for Vine.

Junior snatched the amalgamate from the air and threw it into a brick wall. The bones scattered in all directions and he stood at Vine's back to watch his blind spots. Scores of Dry Bones spilled from windows and from beneath rocks and from piles of sand.

Ludwig squeezed his way in front of Minerva and used his bulk to push back the tide. His evil eye burned furiously. Needles of pain burrowed into his skull. Ludwig spread his fingers and red heat brewed in his gut.

"Ludwig stop," Junior reached for Ludwig. A war hammer swooped past his fingertips.

Ludwig hooked his claws into the Dry Bones' exposed rib cage. He hoisted it overhead and tossed it among the others. A plume of fire crawled from Ludwig's fingers engulfed the bones.

The white flames leaped from their eye sockets and spiraled toward the sky, and the bones disintegrated.

The way was open. Ludwig grinned. Orange muck trickled down his nostril. It seared his skin and dried as an igneous crust. His grin faltered.

Ludwig gagged and stifled his mouth. Sweat swamped his forehead his knees spasmed. He pinned the flaming beast between his grit teeth and spite.

Junior propped himself beneath Ludwig's underarm. He braced his knees. Junior winced. It was like hugging lava rocks.

Ludwig and Junior limped along.

Minerva squeezed past Ludwig to take point.

"Where are you going?" Mario shouted after her.

"Keep up," she vaulted a low wall, past a faded sign that read 'Blue Maiden Park.'

The others kept at her heels and chased faster. Daisy sprinted closer to the front while Luigi sucked breaths to keep up with her. Ludwig's massive footfalls rumbled like a manic bass drum roll. Junior huffed and hoisted half of Ludwig's weight on his shoulders to keep pace.

The Dry Behemoth smashed the ground behind Ludwig. It scooped Dry Bones into its mass. The Behemoth's body thickened, calcite sinews bulged and warped on The Behemoth's limbs. It roared, and chunks of its malformed tongue knocked over Ludwig.

Junior and Minerva took Ludwig by his arms and hoisted him up.

"Get up." Minerva dug her heels.

Ludwig shambled until the momentum carried his weight.

Ludwig lumbered through the remains of a vast garden. Spindly choking weeds scoured the dry earth for water. Sand spilled over troughs. A fountain, crumbling and weather-beaten, pointed toward the heavens. Its tip skewed like a broken finger. Long aqueducts branched from the basin and sloped downward. A chipped mosaic path guided up a hill.

A crumbling observatory crowned the hilltop.

The Dry Behemoth cut them off at the head of the path and paced them like a tiger. A hundred flaming eyes gazed down upon the crew. It opened its mouth and piles of bones slobbered forth.

A ribcage struck Ludwig's chest and wrist bones flecked in his hair. He picked a finger bone from his hair and flicked it away. His brow twitched, and he grimaced.

An engine roared. Bright headlights cut the sand. The Dunecrawler emerged from the storm. Cheatsy's stark blue mohawk flapped in the wind. He whooped and hollered and crested the observatory hill.

Cheatsy whipped past Ludwig. The Dunecrawler hit the base of a dune. Cheatsy hit the gas and shifted gears.

Cheatsy soared through the air, Dunecrawler and all. The crawler smashed through the Behemoth's shoulder. Chunks of bone flecked the black sand. The Behemoth buckled.

The Dunecrawler hit the ground hard and belched black smoke from the hood.

The Behemoth lurched. Its titanic forearm raised above the Dunecrawler's wreckage. Bones emerged from the sand, locking and creaking as the parts crawled back into position.

Cheatsy pried himself free from the auto and sprinted.

The vehicle's metal components brayed and whined. Glass popped and shattered. Sparks danced around the Behemoth's toes. Flames bloomed.

Cheatsy scrambled over the sweeping dunes as bones rained above him.

Mario and his crew peeked over a garden wall. The Behemoth regenerated its shoulder joint and stood tall once again.

Cheatsy hopped the crumbled wall and put his back to the bricks. His chest heaved, and he gulped. "Get down you idiots," Cheatsy shrieked.

Yellow smoke bubbled up from the crumpled guts of the Dunecrawler. Blue fire erupted. A flechette of shrapnel and bone blasted outward.

Mario ducked behind the wall; his hat swirled off his head.

Luigi dropped to his knees. He covered his hat with one hand and pulled Daisy down with the other.

Vine dove forward and hid behind a garden wall.

Minerva scrambled behind a thick trough. Dusty flower roots and chunks of dirt covered her.

Junior's legs buckled, the fire illuminated the pales of his eyes. His jaw slacked.

Ludwig blocked the explosion with his shell. He grabbed Junior's shoulders, held him tight, and grit his teeth. Bone glanced off the curve of Ludwig's shell. A thick metal 'clack' punched Ludwig to the core. Tears welled in his eyes. He bit his bottom lip, braced his legs, and waited for the dust to settle.

The blue fire raged. Bones struggled to reform. It crumbled, and the ash clouds hovered.

Cheatsy cackled, he pumped his fist and jumped, "did you guys see that?" Cheatsy twisted his torso and glanced around. "Guys?"

Mario coughed and searched for his hat in the sand. "Is-" Mario wiped his jaw, "is everyone alright?"

Luigi smiled at Daisy, and she held her thumbs up.

Vine tapped Mario's shoulder, "you dropped this." He held the red cap toward Mario.

Mario sighed, and he smoothed his wind-whipped hair down and mounted the cap on his head. Mario found Minerva half-buried. Her hand stretched toward the sky.

Mario helped her to her feet. Sand spilled from her clothes. Her hair frazzled and twisted in all directions. She nodded at Mario.

"Ludwig? Junior?" Mario glanced over his shoulder.

Ludwig's shoulders trembled. He let go of Junior and dropped to his knees.

Cheatsy's jaw dropped open, "Ludwig?"

Junior walked around Ludwig.

A talon shaped scrap jutted from Ludwig's armored shell.

Junior wriggled the shard free, he grunted,"no blood."

"What," Ludwig weakly mumbled, and his eyes widened, "do you think you're doing?"

"Checking to see if you're okay?" Junior crossed his arms.

"If that thing was-" Ludwig slipped forward and caught himself, "was stuck in me, I'd be bleeding to death right now. Idiot."

"Well you aren't, so shut up and let me look," Junior unlatched Ludwig's shell. His hiking bag was pierced in the middle, the cracked remains of his emergency binoculars spilled from the gash in his rucksack.

Ludwig eased his backpack down his shoulders and showed his white padded undercoat, "still no blood?"

"No," Junior shook his head.

"Ugh, it hurts," he tried his best to rub the tender flesh, but his stiff shoulders left him struggling.

"I think there's a bruise, but that's it."

Ludwig refastened his outfit, closed his eyes, and craned his head back. He lurched, his feet carved long paths in the sand. His shell rocked side to side with his gait. Ludwig stood over Cheatsy.

Cheatsy recomposed himself.

"What the hell was that?" Ludwig snapped.

"That's how you're gonna talk to the guy who saved your tail?" Cheatsy spit on the ground.

Ludwig rolled his shoulders, "you nearly burned it off in the process."

"I don't know how you found us," Mario walked toward the garden wall, "but I'm glad you did."

"And what about the others?" Junior snapped to attention. His knuckles tightened.

Cheatsy smoothed a stray lock of hair back. "We got separated, stupid bandits and zombies ambushed us at base camp, and I had no choice but to run." He massaged his wrists.

"So that means our supplies," Luigi dragged his fingers over his eyelids and groaned, "and the trucks..."

"One got wrecked and the other," Cheatsy shrugged, "I dunno. It might still be out there."

"Well, what now? Even if we find what we're looking for, will we even have a way to escape?" Daisy propped herself on the garden wall, and she dumped sand out of her shoe. Her brown hair flecked with black as she ruffled it clean.

The others looked at each other - an uneasy silence pervaded the group.

Ludwig frowned, "Cheatsy, where did guys get separated?"

"I," the mock-koopaling closed his eyes, "I'm not really sure. There was this bookstore, I think, but they gotta be long gone by now."

"We have to go look for them," Junior stepped forward.

"And risk getting cornered again?" Minerva scoffed. "I don't think we have the resources for another..." Minerva's face paled.

The blue balefire dimmed and the ash clouds congealed. Smoke became solid white, the white became bone, and the bone locked one to another. Skeletal faces peered from the ash.

"Oh, good," Vine crouched behind the wall, "I was wondering if this could get any worse."

"You mean I crashed the car for nothing!?" Cheatsy snapped. He picked up a rock and hurled it. The stone landed a good few yards from the deformed bones.

Minerva popped her neck, "so it takes dark magic to kill them permanently."

"It's not dark magic," Ludwig rolled his eyes.

"You mean the magic that boils your insides when it backfires isn't dark magic?" Vine put a hand on his hip.

Ludwig inched back from the bones. His evil-eye ached. A bone biting wind phased through his entire being and slithered toward the mass of undead.

Cheatsy shivered, his pupils dilated.

"You felt that?" Ludwig cocked his head.

"Felt what?" Junior stood between Ludwig and Cheatsy. "Ludwig stop being weird."

Cheatsy and Ludwig looked at one another, then at the pile of bones. The Dry Behemoth began to reassemble. Its rows of faces flickered to life.

"Dark magic or not," Minerva paced him, "you have to finish it off."

Ludwig's wheezed. "Conjuring fireballs is one thing, but something powerful enough to put that thing down?" Ludwig shook his head and scoffed.

Minerva yanked Vine's rapier from his belt and turned the blade on Ludwig's throat.

Ludwig scowled, and he raised his hands.

"Hey-" Vine reached for his sword, Minerva tapped his forehead with the pommel.

"It's going to kill us at this rate, we can't run forever," Minerva's eyes narrowed.

"It's not that I don't want to," Ludwig pointed at his evil-eye, "I need more time to recover."

Minerva's arm trembled. The tip of the sword bounced. She grit her teeth.

"We're wasting time. If that thing gets up again, we're screwed. The least we can do is hide and get our bearings straight." Ludwig pointed at the observatory. A teal coat hung from the door and billowed up in the wind.

Minerva lowered the sword and threw it toward Vine.

Vine snatched the sword out of the air and sheathed it. "Could be a trap."

"At least you don't need my help putting down Blue Coats," Ludwig limped toward the observatory.

A sun insignia marked the double-wide doors. Ludwig twisted the oxidized brass, green smeared his yellow palms, and he pulled the doors open. Wind blasted him from behind and filled the empty observatory.

"Get moving," Ludwig shuffled inside. He propped himself against a wall. He pressed his forehead against the cold stone.

Mario and Junior brought up the rear as the others dashed inside. Junior rammed the doors shut with his shoulder. The wind wailed, the Dry Behemoth's bones crackled. It stomped around the dilapidated gardens exceeding the door. Sand spilled from the rafters.

Luigi whimpered. Daisy covered his mouth. Luigi closed his eyes.

Cheatsy licked his lips, "is it gone?"

"I'm not opening the door to find out," Vine whispered.

Ludwig shushed Vine. Ludwig's shoulders steadied along with his breathing. Ludwig unhooked what remained of his shell. He pulled his flashlight from his torn rucksack.

The beam of lantern light crossed the room. Small bits of reflective stones embedded in the ceiling caught the shine. They glimmered like distant stars. Ludwig traced constellations, his brow tightened, and he nodded.

"That's a nice touch," Ludwig whispered. He followed the replica desert sky. Painting the summer solstice shapes with his finger. Opalescent trails weaved the false firmament - Star Roads.

The ground trembled. Metal supports in the rafters screeched. A star-stone tumbled from its ceiling nest and clattered on the floor. Ludwig trained his light on the star-stone and saw a painted red line sprawling deep into the dark.

Vine knelt beside the paint and touched it, the red rubbed on his thumb, "it's fresh!"

Minerva reached for her sword and grabbed the air. A scowl tinged her forehead. "Then he's waiting for us."

"Hold on a sec, who's waiting for us?" Cheatsy crossed his arms behind his head.

"We've been chasing a ghost of sorts," Minerva mumbled.

"Speak for yourself," Ludwig grumbled, "we've been chasing you chase one of those bandits."

"Then we definitely walked right into a trap," Cheatsy scoffed, "nice plan Lardwig."

"Quiet," Ludwig covered his evil-eye. Tears streaked his cheeks. A twisting sensation filled his gut. "Something's coming."

A figure stood at the end of the painted trail. In its left hand, it held a dribbling paintbrush. Its posture rigid and unnatural.

Minerva charged. She scooped up the figure by the legs and tackled it to the ground. The figure crumbled to pieces. A leg scattered to the side. Its inanimate plastic head rolled backward.

Ludwig shined the light on the figure's remains. Ludwig picked up a plastic limb. A paintbrush was taped to its palm.

"You sure showed that mannequin, captain," Vine smirked.

Ludwig winced, his eye still ached. Something wasn't right. A spear soared through the air and pinned the wall beside Ludwig.

Bluecoats twisted from the darkness. A few wielded hammers. Others held blades. A scant few raised crude razor clubs.

"Hide in here, let it all blow over, yeah good call," Cheatsy stepped back.

The crew gathered in the center of the room. Their backs pressed to one another. Vine drew his weapon. Mario raised his fists, Ludwig bared his claws.

A black bomb dropped from the ceiling. Smoke billowed from within. It exploded with a 'pwip.' A burst of light blinded Ludwig. He covered his eyes and fell on his back.

He heard a fight unfold. Wood cracked, blade met armor, Minerva snarled. Vine yelped. Then all at once, it was silent.

Ludwig huffed. He rubbed his eyes until his vision returned.

The Teal bandit stood before the group. Limp piles of blue cloth surrounded him. His chest rose and fell. He threw a sword on the floor before Minerva.

Minerva looked at the curved sword, then at the bandit, her lip trembled. "It's you, isn't it? I knew the second you lead us to the bakery. I knew you survived. Someway. Somehow."

The bandit removed his mask.

X-X-X

A thick burlap sack snuffed Roy's vision. Roy's claws scratched sheetrock. Pebbles clattered down dark cliff sides. He licked his teeth. Leather straps pinched his maw.

Damp air billowed from the darkness. A chill swirled around Roy's ankles. Roy twisted his wrists, thick cording dug into his skin and ruffled his scales. His elbows were crooked. He felt his knuckles brush the small of his back.

A length of chain dangled from his neck. An unseen guide tugged Roy along. Roy struggled against his captors. A spear jabbed his bare skin.

Larry yelped. The pain choked in the back of his throat.

Roy stomped and roared. The muzzle muffled his voice.

A thick smack echoed off the cavern walls. Larry's voice cracked. He sputtered into sobs.

Rocky's muzzled shouts echoed. His clawed toes clicked on the ground. Kaspar wasn't far behind.

Roy grit his teeth.

Somewhere further down the line, Konrad whimpered.

Roy calmed himself. His leash tightened. They lead him through the dark. The floor's texture changed from stone to metal. Rounded bevels rubbed Roy's soles. A hollow metal gong rumbled. Machinery rattled, motor-belts whirred, and the metal floor lurched.

A glob of fear bubbled in Roy's throat. The lift swayed, and so did his stomach. The cavernous refrain of the vast room told him he was high up. He imagined a sheer drop into the black. His blindfold exacerbated his brewing panic.

Roy fought to draw breath. The muzzle felt tighter and tighter with each passing moment. His face stretched, and he shook his head.

No, no, anywhere but here.

The lift stopped. Roy steadied his knees. Bats screeched; their fleshy wings fluttered like flags in the wind. A distant underground river splashed and babbled. The black and mild vanilla scent of an activated Fire Flower tickled his nose.

Metal brushed against metal, rusty hinges wailed and stirred the bats.

The leash yanked Roy forward. He tripped and landed on a grated floor. His fingers trembled. Two cellmates joined him. Their bodies crashed against the chainlink walls, and the entire prison rocked.

A door jamb clanged. Cylinder locks clicked. Roy's heart pounded in his throat, he licked the roof of his mouth and strained his ears. Cloth whispered as it brushed on stone. Leather footsteps scraped metal flooring and scuffed wooden planks.

Roy waited for silence. He slowed his breathing and exhaled in a steady tone - A whisper below a whisper. All at once, a motor roared and chains engaged. The lift hovered away. Roy felt his prison sway. His tail straightened. He was still hanging above the dark. He blinked back his tears and fears.

Roy scrambled to remove the sack that covered his head. He sat with V-shaped legs and drew a deep breath and exhaled. Roy bent forward. His torso turned at the middle as his diaphragm relaxed.

Roy's inner thighs seared from exertion. His lower back pulled tautly. He pushed forward until he lowered his head toward his toes. Roy's shoulder blades popped, his bound wrists chafed. Blood rushed to his cheeks, his ragged lungs begged for air. He hooked the burlap mask around the crook of his clawed toe.

Perfect. Roy's restrained maw stretched into a pained smile. He felt like a psych- ward reject. The muzzle was too small, and it cut into his cheeks.

Slowly, Roy tucked his chin to his chest. Cool air licked the nape of his neck. He shivered. Roy wrestled free from the bag.

Distant patches of orange light tingled his eyes. He blinked a few times and his vision adjusted.

Roy dangled high above an endless black. Clusters of stalagmites leered from the ebony sheet. His cage swayed at the slightest movement. Chains clicked and creaked. Roy gulped. He almost wished he left his mask on.

Beyond the cage, lantern lights illuminated ramshackle walkways. They were constructed from scavenged sheet metal, repurposed billboards, cracked pipes, and rusty mining equipment. Roy clawed at his wrists to undo his bonds. The rope chafed.

Roy saw Rocky restrained in the corner. His coveralls sagged to the right. A loose strap of denim dangled off his left shoulder.

Konrad lay on his stomach. The yellow sheen of his exposed scales flickered in the light. His sweat-stained tank top clung to his shoulders.

Roy tumbled to his knees and pushed himself to his feet. He put his back to the end of the cage and fit his claws through the gaps to catch his balance.

Beyond the bars, Larry wobbled among bandits several stories beneath Roy on a shelf of rock.

An industrial crane hissed and moaned. Its broad yellow arm buckled. An improvised lift swung on the hook. Hefty boxes of salvage soared from one cliffside to another.

Larry limped from the cliff and onto a catwalk. His broken leg bounced against the wooden floorboards. The splint shifted in agonized angles. Larry gasped and tripped forward.

A bandit smacked Larry's unarmored back with the blunt end of his razor club.

Larry's claws screeched along the wall. His legs crumpled. The walkway quivered where he landed.

Kaspar hobbled behind, his arms bound by chains, he struggled to lift Larry.

Roy twisted his wrists, grunting furiously, fighting his bonds. His teeth grit tight. He rammed the cage wall with his shoulder. The thick rope hooked on the thick of his palm. His thumb ached.

Roy squeezed his eyes tight. A thousand curses flitted through his thoughts. He pressed his right thumb flat against the wall. He counted back from ten. Roy contorted the thick digit, his claw dug into his skin.

Roy jerked his body against the cage. His thumb shifted out of its socket. Light flashed behind his eyes. Pain drilled in his ears like a siren. Hot tears streamed his cheeks. The dislocated thumb dangled. The cord around his wrist shimmied free. Roy grabbed his thumb.

Easy. Count back. One, two - Roy forced the thumb back into its socket.

Roy's ribs ached. Bile tickled the back of his throat. He flexed his thumb to test its dexterity. A dull pain pinched his palm. Roy tore his muzzle free; blood trickled down his cheek.

Roy gasped. Stagnant air raced down his throat. He croaked. He flexed his fingers and clenched his fist. A short hiss eked his lips. He sipped a breath from his nostrils.

"Mf?" Rocky grunted.

Roy knelt and slashed Rocky's bindings with his claw. He unfastened Rocky's muzzle. Rocky splayed on his stomach and let his joints relax.

Roy patted Rocky's back and freed Konrad next.

The koopa troop pried his muzzle off. He drank the air and propped himself up on his hands and knees. "The indignity of it all," Konrad rubbed his naked shoulders, "I just bought that shell too."

Roy rubbed his rope burns. He paced the cage. The door's wooden frame was wrapped in barbed wire. A sturdy padlock fastened the door shut.

The tip of the crane's arm pointed at Roy before shifting to its next position. The makeshift lift shuttled a pack of bandits down a few levels. Boxes of salvage nearly tumbled over the edge.

A crane operator peered beyond a glass windshield. His attention focused on the improvised lift system. Roy held his breath.

The crane's arm swung past the cage once again. Roy stared at it. The wheels in his mind turned. He jogged to the door and looked at the hinges. Rust flaked off the sandblasted door pins.

Roy tested his weight on the door. The hinges ached. The padlock rattled. He licked his teeth, the crane slowly turned back towards him.

"What's the plan?" Rocky folded his arms.

"Gimme a sec," Roy kicked the door. Bits of scrap tumbled from the frame. Wood splintered. He reared back and kicked again.

The door shattered. What remained dangled off a padlock. Bits of wood clattered into the deep black.

Bandits pointed and shouted. A squad formed at the crane. Bluecoats armed with clubs and makeshift spears and slings jumped on the lift.

"When that crane swings back," Roy gulped, "you jump."

"Me?" Rocky rubbed his knees. "Not with this arthritis."

"Perhaps you can hijack the lift and get us down," Konrad twiddled his thumbs, "it risks fewer lives."

"Maybe I can throw you instead," Roy grumbled.

"Young Master Koopa," Konrad cleared his throat, "they're getting away with your brother."

Sure enough, the bandits were hobbling away with Kaspar and Larry. They gathered around the young koopaling, hoisted him up, and dashed from the chaos.

Roy punched the wall, "dammit!" His teeth grit. No time to wait. No time to think. No time to fear. Roy jogged to the opposite end of the cage, "don't look down, don't stop, don't look down."

"Don't look down!" Roy roared and charged toward the door frame. The crane's raised to his level. Bluecoats huddled on the lift below.

The naked air swirled around Roy's toes and time in his mind's eyes slowed. Roy nearly threw up in his mouth. He snagged the crane's arm. His claws hooked the metal. The sudden weight rattled the Bluecoats on the lift below.

Roy groped for traction. He swung his free arm around the crane. The bandages on his left hand slipped and saw the burgundy stains between his fingers. He raised his leg to mantle the arm.

Roy's heel slipped. "No," Roy sobbed, he kicked his legs furiously. The weight blasted Roy's shoulders. Roy forced himself onto the arm and crawled.

Bandits scrambled along the walkways. Their gnarled rebar spears raised. They hurled spiked balls across the chasm and pointed ends struck the metal. A shrieking echo shook the air.

The crane's arm rose higher and higher. Roy hugged his perch. His stomach dropped to his feet.

The lift hovered below the suspended cage. Rocky grabbed Konrad's arm and pounced their attackers. Rocky landed atop a bandit occupying the lift. They hit the ground together.

A glass bauble twirled through the air. Sparks illuminated the dark when it shattered. Blue fire engulfed the cage where Roy once stood.

Roy's aching thumb spasmed and he lost his grip and slid down the crane. Rusted rivets brushed his thick skin and a metal indent caught him between the legs. The pain shot to his eyes like lightning. He struck the crane operator's cockpit.

A star-shaped crack opened in the glass. Roy snarled as he chewed on his pain. The ceiling came into the focus. The burning cage flooded the cavern dome in brilliant light. Roy squinted, tears trailed his cheeks, and he stared between his fingers.

White-furred bats screeched. Smoke smothered their perches. A wrathful cyclone of wings and pointed teeth descended. Roy saw their glowing eyes amid the cloud of fur and teeth. The haze of bats swarmed the bandits on the lift.

One Bluecoat swatted back three of the bats, but this only irritated the swarm further. They surrounded the bandit. Their fleshy wings beat like soggy snares.

The masked brigand tumbled into the endless dark.

Roy snarled. Rocky and Konrad were in that mess. Doomed to die if he didn't do something. Roy clenched his fists.

A bat mounted Roy's forehead and gnawed on his scalp. Blood swirled down his cheeks. Roy covered his eyes and lashed out at the swarm and crushed a handful of flying rodents. He fought his way free of the bat colony. Roy landed beside the crane. He yanked the door open then forced his way into the operator's seat.

Roy slammed the door behind him. Bats thronged the windows. Roy wiped the blood from his brow and sighed.

The crane operator twisted beneath Roy's body and squeezed free. The bandit clutched his club to his chest.

Roy could make out the whites of his eyes behind the mask.

The bandit raised the club.

"Give me a break," Roy tore the club from the bandit's fingers. A faint glow emanated from the dashboard and illuminated Roy beneath the chin.

The bat's faces were red and their eyes a glazed white. Nightmare faces that crawled deep into Roy's brain. Roy grimaced.

Kamek used to warn them about 'blood bats.' Monstrous bloodsucking hordes that inhabited the depths of the Darkland's caverns. Ludwig used to say it was a trick and that Kamek made it up to scare them.

The bats they knew, the simple green-furred ones that Lemmy called 'swoopers,' occupied every inch of the cave near his castle home. Not once had he seen a white one. Roy believed Ludwig. Kamek was fond of tricks.

Now he was surrounded by a wall of wings and white. Roy bit his bottom lip. The second he left his refuge they would strip him to the bone.

Flames erupted beyond the glass and some of the bats scattered. Between holes in the swarm, he saw Rocky, Konrad, and the bandits fighting for dear life atop the lift. They hurled firebombs out toward the throng and forced a slight retreat.

Roy fiddled with the crane's controls. A system of dials and buttons and joysticks leered at him. "Uh, which one moves it?" Roy nudged the driver.

The Bluecoat squeezed between Roy and the controls. He flicked a dial and tilted a joystick. The crane hissed. Its joints engaged.

The swarm slammed the glass. Others skittered in search of openings. Their deafening screeches pierced Roy's brain.

Roy tapped his foot and watched the lift swing to safety.

"Yes!" Roy pounded the console. A firebomb rolled from a hidden compartment in the base of the control board and hit the floor. It moved around Roy's ankles. He held his breath.

Roy and the bandit looked up from the bauble and then slowly at one another.

Roy scooped the glass bauble from the floor. A spiderweb of cracks spread on the surface and sulphuric scent tickled his nose. He held his breath.

Nice and easy. Roy reached for the door. The bandit grabbed Roy's wrist and held it tight. The bandit shook its head rapidly.

Roy grunted and shook his arm free, "hey! What're you-"

Bats nipped at Roy's ankles. A rusty patch below the crane's seat ruptured. The cockpit flooded with biting monsters. Roy kicked the door open and tumbled free of the cockpit.

The bandit inside flailed. He batted his chest and legs and reached for his eyes. His robes burst open. Dust soaked bats burgeoned out.

Roy gasped and scooted crablike. He cradled the bomb like an infant. His ears rang.

Roy hurled the bomb into the cockpit and watched the blue flames engulf all. Blackened husks of bats dotted the ground. Roy's eyes watered, and he covered his face as the fire blinded him.

Roy rolled on his stomach and pressed his nose against the stone. The screeching bats faltered. Roy blinked his vision back. Colored spots speckled the corners of his eyes.

Roy rubbed the tears from his eyes and steadied himself on a rock wall. The air reeked of burnt fur and sulphur. He gagged.

Limp blue rags rested on the walkways. Scattered remnants of the bat colony fluttered across the chasm far away from the biting flames. Roy leaned against the crane.

"La-" Roy gagged and coughed, "Larry?" The name cast off into the dark, and it resonated above the crackling flames. "Rocky? Konrad?"

"We're down here," Kaspar waved a razor club up at Roy from a lower catwalk. Thick red splotches stained Kaspar's tattered shirt. His salt and pepper muzzle formed a silhouette in the dark. It was the first time Roy had seen him without a mask.

Larry's matted hair made itself apparent a few sorry feet behind Kaspar. Konrad and Rocky propped him up on both sides. Larry's leg dragged behind.

Roy whispered thanks to whichever Star Spirit was listening, and he tiptoed toward the ledge of the chasm-side. He shielded his eyes from the dancing flames and smiled. "You guys alright?"

"Mostly," Larry groaned.

"Your leg?" Roy frowned.

Larry's voice trailed, "I don't want to check it."

"I am not a doctor, but," Kaspar looked up at Roy, "it doesn't look good."

"Hang in there, I'll come to you." Roy paced the ledge, he ascended the walkways and rocky ledges for a point where he could cross to Larry's end. His footsteps echoed, and he hugged his bruised ribs.

Eventually, Roy found a rickety rope suspension bridge that fed upwards like the world's jankiest staircase. An array of rope triangles fastened to one lead-rope joined the walls on both sides.

Roy tested his weight on the pseudo-bridge. The rope muttered, apparently unhappy with his girth. Roy closed his eyes and inched back. His heart beat in his throat.

"Roy?" Kaspar ran to the opposite end of the bridge.

"I can't do it," Roy's clenched his teeth.

"C'mon," Rocky shouted, "you made that last jump like a pro!"

Roy shook his head, "you guys have to go on without me, maybe I can find a different way."

"Master Roy, there's bound to be more bandits coming our way, what with that awful racket earlier," Konrad said and he inched toward the bridge, "and unlike you, we're not exactly the fighting types."

Roy stood, his back straightened, and he clenched his fists. He could barely stand himself. Big, mean, Roy Koopa. The tough brother. The fighter. The idiot that can't cross a bridge.

Roy licked his lips and approached the rope bridge. He set one foot down. The rope tightened. Again it groaned.

"Easy," Roy whispered, "eyes forward." His neck stiffened. He found himself peeking over the curve of his nose and into the deep black below.

Roy whimpered. One foot in front of the other. Seconds passed. Sweat slicked his palms.

"There you go, you can do it," Kaspar clapped twice.

Roy smirked. He was doing it. He straightened his back and puffed his chest.

The ropes snapped like tendons and the whipped the walls.

Roy screamed the whole way down. His voice was far shriller than he was comfortable admitting. He clutched the rope to his chest like precious pearls and smacked the wall with a thud.

"Roy!?" Larry yelped.

"I-I," Roy gulped, "oh Stars, I'm going to die."

"No you're not, stupid," Larry gagged on his pain, "you're not dying because I need you to do something about my leg."

Roy stared at the rope. He saw the fraying twine and regretted every last scrap of carbohydrate and protein and every pound of carefully cultivated muscle.

"Climb," Larry shouted his throat hoarse, "you climb that practice chain at the gym all the time."

Roy groped for footholds and dragged his body up the face of the chasm-side. The rope beveled near the end. Roy struggled while the angle shifted.

"You're almost up." Konrad cheered.

Finally, Roy pulled himself up he laid on his back.

Larry crawled. His belly scraped the floor. The whites of his eyes and his teeth glowed. He rolled on his back, hissing in pain the whole time.

Kaspar sat cross-legged beside the two. Konrad slumped with his back against the wall. Rocky dangled his legs over the ledge.

"Finally, it's quiet here," Kaspar closed his eyes.

"I'm gonna need a long vacation after we get home," Roy whispered, "I'm thinking sunshine on the beach and fruity drinks far far away from all this."

"The Yoshi isles?" Larry said.

"Stars, no," Roy grumbled, "Delfino, maybe."

"That sounds nice," Rocky mumbled.

"Would be, if Junior hadn't wrecked the place a while back," Larry sighed, "I bet they'd throw us in jail on sight."

"You Koopas have quite the reputation, don't you?" Kaspar cocked his head.

"We deserve it," Roy rocked his torso forward. His stomach bunched at the waist and he sat upright. He dug his claws into the wall, steadied himself, spit on the wooden hatchwork floor, then turned to Larry.

"What now?" Larry said

"Well, we can't stay here," Roy offered his open palm to Larry.

Larry clasped his older brother's forearm. Roy carefully hoisted Larry onto his back. Larry's limp leg bounced on Roy's hip.

"Where were they taking you?" Roy mumbled aloud.

"I think they were dividing up their more valuable prisoners," Kaspar rubbed his chin, "Moustafa would pay a ransom to see his 'family' safe."

"And there's a serious bounty on my head," Larry climbed further up Roy's back and peeked around Roy's head, "all I can think about is that poster with your face crossed out."

Roy licked his teeth and humphed, "well they don't want me dead, they'd have killed me by now."

"Maybe they had something else planned for us," Rocky whispered.

Roy lead them down long and winding platforms and pushed deeper into the caves. Scant lanterns illuminated the rickety pathways. The air reeked of old dirt.

"Any chance you suddenly remember this place?" Larry said softly, he peered into the black and he winced. His eyes were distant

"It's like, well," Roy's brow scrunched, "you know when you go someplace new, but it feels like you've been there before? Day-something."

"Deja Vu?" Larry cocked his head.

Roy bobbed his head, "yeah, yeah!" Roy grunted as the catwalk shifted upwards and his knees buckled. "I remember coming to Lapiston, I remember bits of the invasion," Roy's eyes waxed distant, "I remember Minerva."

"Wait, Minerva's from here?" Larry squeezed tighter to Roy.

Roy frowned, "I might've really messed up her dad and her brother."

Rocky scoffed. "Did you or didn't you? Not a lot of in between there."

"That's just it, everything else that happened is fuzzy," Roy mumbled, he squinted when they neared the lanterns.

They stood on the precipice of a long stone bridge. Sun insignias adorned the walls. Cracked mirrors beamed strips of surface sunlight onto the stone shelf where they stood.

Roy squinted at the suns carved into the wall. Chipped yellow paint tickled his irises. He rubbed his temples. Guilt boiled in his gut.

"Yeah, I know this place," Roy whispered.

X-X-X

Roy stumbled after ghosts. Faint lantern light illuminated a trail of boot-tracks. A wailing wind echoed from deep within the mine.

"Captain?" Roy said. His voice bounced off the walls, and the black swallowed it.

The mine opened wider and wider. Roy brushed his fingers along the wall. The sandstone crumbled on his claws. He sniffed the air; a rich sulfur scent bubbled from the bowels of the mine. It reminded him of home.

"Captain Tack?" Roy said.

A low voice echoed from beyond the dark.

Roy jogged toward the sound. The weight of the dark lifted. His heels kicked up dirt, and the stones were slicked with mud. A spilled canteen crunched underfoot. Roy caught himself before he fell and landed at the end of the earth - a bottomless chasm fed by water pipes. His eyes jumped in their sockets. Roy swallowed his stomach. Stalagmites pointed at him like inquisitors.

Roy leaped back from the edge and hit the wall. His bald head scuffed against the sheetrock. Inhale, count to three, exhale, count to three. Just like Kamek taught.

"Master Roy?"

Roy opened his eyes and saw Captain Tack among a few other hammer troops. Tack held a lantern full of activated Fire Flower powder. Minerva, Fulcan, and their father waited like statues.

"Why didn't you answer me?" Roy shouted.

"We thought you were someone else," Tack lowered his hammer, "you've dealt with Mario then?"

"No. Mario's reinforcements arrived, the whole thing is falling apart out there." Roy caught his breath. "We have to hurry."

"You heard him," Tack tapped Minver with the flat of his hammer.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Minerva said.

Tack spat over the edge into the dark and cocked his head. When he heard nothing, he smirked. "That's a long drop. Wonder if you can hear someone scream the whole way down."

"Captain!" Roy snapped.

"With all due respect," Tack cleared his throat, "we're not moving this any faster by asking nicely."

Roy clenched his and his crew of masked mice could flood the caves any second. Bombs and fire and yoshi tongue were sure to follow. He shivered.

"Fine." Roy's muzzle twitched.

Tack grabbed the father by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the ledge.

"I'm moving," Minerva's throat clenched and cracked her voice.

"That's better." Tack threw the prisoner back in line.

Roy followed the furthest behind. His fingers fidgeted. He perched his shades on his forehead as the impenetrable dark grew.

They marched along the cliff side. Past narrow lips of rock that crumbled at the slightest touch. Stones trickled downward. Tocking and plinking away.

What sort of mine was this? Roy's temples pounded. High ceilings mocked their breathing with soft echoes, and uninviting tendrils of lantern light stroked Roy's cheek.

Sturdy stone bridges joined the stone walkways. Intricate mandalas decorated the walls spiraled outward into bright suns. The painted reliefs long since faded to clear stone.

"What is all this?" Roy mumbled.

"A Lapis mine," the baker cradled his injured wrist. His hard eyes watched the dark pits, and then he looked up at Roy. He smiled.

Roy inched away from the edge, "don't even think about it."

"Scared of a little fall?" Fulcan said.

"It's not the fall that scares me," Roy eked.

At the bridge's center sat a rounded stone turret. A path branched downward beneath the pointed roof - a spiral stone staircase. The bridge extended further beyond, its end obscured by the dark.

Minerva looked between the two paths.

"Well? Which one is it?" Roy said.

"I'm not sure," Minerva crossed her arms.

"Better figure it out," Tack rolled his shoulders.

Minerva bit her bottom lip. Her brother and father fell silent. Minerva put her back to the staircase. "I think it's this way."

"For their sake, you'd better be right." Tack rested his warhammer on his shoulder.

The 'mines' devoured all sense of time. Tack's lantern illuminated scant sections of the bridge, and the shadows jerked in a ragged ictus. Roy kept his elbows locked by his side. He refused to even approach the ledges. Finally, at the end of the lantern-lit bridge, Roy saw a shattered doorway.

The granite door frame towered over Roy. The broken door itself littered the ground. Bits of blue paint marked the desecrated chunks.

Beyond the frame Roy saw a mosaic splayed on the floor. A woman in a blue gown opened her arms to the world. She wore a diamond ground that shone like the north star.

"We're here," Minerva said.

The baker grunted and reached for Minerva.

Tack smacked the baker's hand aside. "Easy, gramps."

"You've no idea what you're getting into," the baker growled.

"Enough," Roy said, "the faster we get this done, the faster we can leave."

Roy took in the expanse of the room and his scales perked. The nascent hairs between the cracks of his scales stood on end. His tail twitched. The air reeked of mildew and rotten meat.

Tall marble pillars reached upward. Warm beams of light spilled from holes drilled in the ceiling toward brass mirrors. A glistening pearl dangled in the center of the room from golden chains. Roy paced one of the mirrors. He grabbed the sides and bounced light at the pearl.

The pearl glowed deep orange, at first, then blue, finally white. Light bloomed from the artificial sun and Roy winced. He adjusted his glasses.

The sanctum was a circular platform that rose above a bottomless black pit. Bones littered the floor. Piles of Koopa and Toad remains. Some of the more intact skeletons wore tattered blue robes. Their bone-sockets stared at the ceiling with twisted mouths agape.

A pentacle marked the floor and on four of its arms were pedestals. On each sat an artifact untouched by the chaos. A bright cloak that glimmered like liquid ruby. A golden whistle on a silver chain. A curved sword with a topaz sun fastened to the pommel. A pair of winged boots emblazoned with mysterious symbols.

Tack stepped over the bones, careful not to fall into the pit at the ledge. He squeezed his hammer and made way for the head of the pentacle. The fifth treasure, a lens affixed to a gilded frame, emitted a pulsing warmth. Ivory grips manned the sides of the glass. The faint outline of a star stained the center of the lens like a crosshair.

Roy peered through the lens. The world resembled a squirming mass of light. It pulsed and pounded. Roy cocked his head.

A hammer troop crossed the front of the lens and Roy saw a brilliant orange glow in his center. Veins of light branched to his limbs and his head.

Roy's breathing echoed in his ears, his temples pounded and he could not pry his eyes from the lens. The faint outline of a face appeared in the glass. Its eyes were white balls of flame. Roy tumbled back.

"What happened here?" Roy grabbed the baker by the shoulders and shook him. "Answer me."

"I told you not to come here," The baker whispered.

"You're joining those bones if you don't answer me." Roy snapped.

The baker was silent.

Roy followed where the lens was aimed, and he saw a tall stone slab in the center of the pentacle. A leering face was carved into the rock. Chains dangled from the sides and rusted metal restraints cast lobster claw shadows. Roy dragged his hand across the stone.

A layer of bone-white dust coated his palm and nearly choked on his leathery tongue.

"I won't ask again," Roy said. His voice hollow.

"Star Artifacts lose their power with each use, and without a Star Spirit to charge them, the Hari used the Eye Of The Stars..." The baker shook his head. "These bones here, they were prisoners. The physically feeble, mentally unfit, or those convicted of unforgivable acts. They were to be made 'useful.'"

"Useful. I like the sound of that." Tack mumbled. He squinted aimed the lens. "How does it work?"

"Captain, leave it alone," Roy snapped.

Tack cleared his throat and nodded at his Hammer troop subordinates. One smacked the back of Roy's leg with the pointed end of his hammer. Roy dropped to his knees.

Another struck Roy's stomach. Pain exploded behind Roy's eyes. He hugged his middle. His insides leaped up his throat. He gagged on the hurt.

"Nothing personal, boss," Tack turned toward the baker, "okay, maybe it's a little personal."

Roy winced and moaned, "Tack, you bastard." Roy made a move to stand, but the hammer troops were on his side.

Two troops pinned his arms to the ground and laid him out prone. Roy's face pressed against the stone floor. His tooth sliced his lip. Hot tears moistened the corners of his eyes. Another troop hugged Roy's legs.

Tack tore Roy's sunglasses from his face. He threw them on the stone floor and crushed them with his hammer.

The sun pearl blazed Roy's eyes. He clamped his eyes shut, but to no avail. The light pierced all.

Tack stood in front of the lens, "I was starting to wonder when I could drop this whole babysitting charade. Now, I'd appreciate it if you told me how to work the Eye." Tack nodded toward the baker.

The baker scowled. His lips thinned into a tight line.

"Speak, or I'll grind your daughter's head into paste," Tack pointed his hammer toward Minerva.

The soldiers watched one another. The baker flexed his better hand and looked at Roy as he struggled against the hammer troops.

"You have your treasures, leave the Eye." The baker said.

"You said it yourself, these treasures lose their charge," Tack yanked Minerva by the back of her head and shoved her to the ground.

"I don't care if you kill us all," the baker rolled his shoulders back, his hair tousled in his eyes, "you're not opening the Eye."

Tack pressed his boot on Minerva's back. Her mouth stretched open. She gasped.

"Remember, your father did this to you," Tack raised his hammer.

"Stop, stop, I'll tell you," Fulcan sputtered, "just stop."

The baker grabbed Fulcan's shoulder, but Fulcan shoved him off.

Tack smirked.

"You need to prime it, first," Fulcan held his palms outward, then he pointed at a lever near the Eye's base.

Tack stepped off Minerva. She gagged. Her shoulders quivered. He stood behind the lens and tugged the lever.

The sun pearl faded. A ball of white light descended into the Eye. The star in the center of the Eye glowed orange.

Roy blinked the tears from his eyes. He kicked and struggled. The hammer troops pressed harder on his elbows. Roy yelped.

"What next?" Tack shouted.

"Point it at something you don't like, grab the handles, and, uh," Fulcan sighed, "envision the eye opening up."

Tack scowled, "if you're lying to me -"

"Then smash my head in, that's what all the stories about this thing say," Fulcan snapped.

Tack looked down at Roy, he nodded at the hammer troops, "set him up."

The hammer troops struggled to raise the koopaling, they kicked his bruised ribs and his stomach. Roy flailed, his teeth bared, and blood trickled down his lip. It took nearly every troop to move Roy to the altar.

Fulcan dragged Minerva to safety. He knelt beside her. His eyes wet with worry.

Roy felt the spikes on his shell grind against the stone. His breathing slowed. The racing tempo of his heart pounded in his skull.

Tack's flaming silhouette moved behind the glass. The star-shaped stain leveled with Roy's chest. Rusty metal joints screeched. Roy held his breath. Tack's fingers brushed against the outer handles.

"What did I ever do to you?" Roy's voice cracked. It was a child's voice. A pleading voice.

"Don't flatter yourself. It's not just you. It's all of your kind." Tack spit.

"What are you talking about?" Roy fought to keep his eyes open. He watched the glowing star.

"The Hammer Tribe will rise again." Tack squeezed the handles. "No more answering to Koopas, no more shell uniforms, no more having to associate with Firebrands and Crookedsticks."

Roy watched the hammer troops on his flanks. They squeezed his arms tighter, their vigilant eyes trained on Roy's head.

Tack closed his eyes. He muttered to himself. His knees seized and he spasmed. The star in the center of the lens burned brighter. Its hue shifted to a darker orange. Slowly, but surely, the star began to glow red,.

Roy steadied his legs. He held his breath. Time slowed. His ears pounded and the blood rushed to his arms. He saw the face of glowing red death and all was still. It shifted to purple. And finally - blue.

A beam of energy exploded forth.

Roy threw his entire weight to the side. A hapless hammer troop slid into the line of fire. Roy laid on his left arm and covered his head with his free hand.

The hammer troop caught in the light could hardly muster sounds beyond strained choking. Roy peeked between his fingers, and he saw the troop's eyes glow white. His jaw slacked. His chest stretched open. Suffering orange energy emerged from his being.

Tack released the lens. He fell on his back. His fingers quivered.

The stolen orange mass moved toward the lens and merged with the glass. It shot toward the sun pearl. Orange bolts of energy blasted the treasures.

The Eye's beam blazed brighter.

"Why isn't it stopping?" Tack shrieked. He pushed off the ground. His shaky knees barely held him. Tack scooped up his war hammer.

Fulcan tackled Tack to the floor. They hit the aiming apparatus. The lens twisted on its pedestal. The beam slithered across the wall.

"Fulcan!" Minerva ducked beneath the beam of light and crawled on her elbows and knees.

Fulcan climbed to his knees. Tack grabbed his ankle and yanked him back. Fulcan kicked Tack's face and reached for Tack's hammer.

Roy crawled through bones. The glistening Star treasures beckoned to him from their pedestals. Roy looked at the chaos unfolding.

"Now or never," Roy whispered.

The baker's daughter threw a rock at Roy's head, and it soared past his muzzle.

Roy closed his eyes and tried to imagine the shape of the room. He felt the sound of armor smacking stone. He felt the change in the air as another rock soared past his head.

Minerva grabbed a rusty sword from the pile of bones and held it forward with trembling hands.

Roy strafed her. His fingers spread loose and his elbows relaxed. Minerva swung the sword. Roy grabbed her forearm and tripped her. The sword clattered on the floor.

Roy moved for the artifacts. A pair of soft hands reached around his peripherals and grabbed his muzzle. Minerva dangled from his back, nestled in the space between spikes on his shell, and she clung to him for dear life.

A desperate hammer troop ran to Tack's aid. He kicked Tack's hammer from Fulcan's reach. The troop raised his own weapon, primed to crush Fulcan.

Fulcan grabbed a dismembered tibia bone from the ground and smacked the back of the troop's head. Fulcan ducked the hammer troop's follow-up and kicked the flat of his chest.

The troop stumbled back and smacked the lens once more.

The energy beam sliced the air and struck Minerva. She rose from Roy's back like a marionette. Minerva's eyes glowed. Her back twisted and she screamed.

Roy stared, jaw agape.

A dull thrum pounded in Roy's head. He forgot about the treasures. About Mario and the MK. About his father and his disappointment.

Fulcan ran for the lens, Tack's hammer in hand.

"No, you can't!" The baker tackled Fulcan to the ground, and they both watched the girl as an orange mass of energy boiled to the surface of her chest.

Roy clenched his teeth. He looked over his shoulder at the lens. Tack's hammer lay discarded beside the brass base. Roy hobbled to the heavy weapon.

Roy scooped the hammer from the ground. A hammer troop charged him, weapon raised. Roy swatted the troop back and steadied on.

The baker scrambled to his feet. Fulcan grabbed his father's legs and pinned him to the ground. "Save her!" Fulcan screamed.

Roy stood before the lens.

The sound of shattering glass echoed for eons.

"Now you've done it." The baker hissed.

A glowing shape emerged from the shattered remains of glass. Roy stepped back. A million voices cried in his mind and the bones rattled on the ground.

"Don't look at it." The baker shouted "Don't you-" the baker gasped, "eyes on me, Fulcan, eyes-"

The warm light washed over Roy. He stared into the white mouth of infinity. No pain in his eyes. His limbs grew limp.

A slender silhouette moved through the light, arms outstretched, ready for an embrace.

Roy clenched his eyes shut turned his back to the light and hobbled to safety. He saw the girl on the ground. Her body was limp, and her chest was heaving. The orange glow on her chest faded and her breathing stilled.

Captain Tack sat in Roy's peripherals. Motionless. Roy turned his head, trying his best not to look at the light.

Tack's face was pale. His eyes glowed. He blubbered half-spoken sounds. The silhouette approached Tack and dragged her hands across his cheek. Tack exploded into white dust.

Roy carried Tack's hammer at his side. Roy scooped the unconscious girl from the ground and draped her over his shoulder. He groped the walls. The endless caverns below filled his gut with dread but the skittering bugs and rattling bones sent shivers deeper into his soul.

Flickering lanterns lead the way back. The light was growing. He could see it from the corners of his eyes. He could feel it beckon him. The warmth it offered was enticing. Far from the cold and dank cavern and the constricted Lapis mines.

"No, no, don't look at it, don't look at it," Roy chanted in his shaking voice, "don't look back, don't look back."

The light faded as he approached the final stretch of the mines. His heart skipped a beat. He broke into a sprint and ran for the light of day. Not caring for his eyes or his sanity.

Black clouds of sand swarmed the sky, and fierce winds threatened to knock him off his feet. The hammer troops at the mine entrance ran to Roy.

"What's happening?" Roy shouted.

"Sandstorm, damn thing came out of nowhere." The hammer brother cupped his hands and put them to the corners of his lips. "Where's Tack?"

"Fell in the line of duty," Roy handed the troop Tack's weapon, "we have to evacuate."

"Where's the treasure?"

"There's no treasure," Roy muttered.

"Blast. King Bowser isn't going to like the sound of that."

"Gather your troops and meet me at the airship." Roy limped forward. He knew the light was coming for him. It saw him. Saw right into his soul. "Did Mario come this way?"

"About that-" the hammer troop frowned.

A fireball corkscrewed through the air. Roy sidestepped it and ran toward Mario and his army of mice. "Wait, wait, wait, timeout," Roy shouted.

Mario stopped and cocked his head. The flames trickled from his fingertips and his brow slick with sweat. Mario saw the girl hanging from Roy's shoulder, and he immediately broke his stance.

"You need to get everyone out of here," Roy grabbed Mario's shoulders, "hurry, there's someone, something, I don't-" Roy's head dropped.

Mario stared a moment, and the fight in his eyes was snuffed. "You heard him, grab anyone you can and move."

The mice looked at one another, their tails twitched.

"Wait, Mario," Roy lowered the girl from his shoulder. She could not have been much older than him, maybe the same age as Ludwig. Roy's stomach turned. "Get her to safety. Her family was down there when..." Roy cleared his throat.

Mario nodded slowly. He and a few mice scooped up the girl and cleared out.

Roy stared at his trembling fingers.

"What was that all about?" The hammer troop said.

"I said we need to evacuate," Roy said. His voice steady and brimming with ice.

"Er, yes, yes sir." The hammer troop saluted lamely and ran.

Roy stared at the sky and he watched the storm's intensity rise. Their airship arose in the distance. A lightning bolt cut the air and blasted the stern. Chunks of wood rained onto Lapiston. The airship cracked in half and crashed.

Roy's jaw dropped; he ran for Mario.


	14. Survivor's Guilt

###  **Chapter 14: Survivor's Guilt**

Sand swirled around Roy's head. Heavy winds beat down on him. He broadened his stance, his knees buckled, and he blocked his mouth with his forearm. Roy followed Mario through the storm-torn streets.

Mario rode on the back of a yoshi. Its scales were an emerald beacon. Mario slapped his hat to his head as the winds rose. Minerva was draped across the end of the yoshi's saddle.

"Boss?" The hammer troop from before jogged behind Roy. "Boss, what are you doing?"

"Getting help," Roy snarled, and sand filled his mouth, he spat.

"From Mario?"

"Yes, from Mario," Roy snapped.

The hammer troop flinched. "With all due respect, what makes you think that bastard's going to help?"

Roy shook his head and yelled, "Mario!"

The yoshi stumbled to a halt. Her half-folded wings shivered; the translucent membrane between finger-like wing bones stretched. The yoshi turned, and she said something to Mario.

Mario squinted and saw Roy.

"I'm not here to start anything," Roy walked up to Mario, hands raised. He elbowed the nearby hammer troop.

The Hammer troop sheathed his weapon and held his hands up.

"Our Airship crashed" Roy shouted through the winds, "I need help."

Mario nodded. He tried to speak over the gaining storm, "follow me."

"What?" The yoshi snapped. She lowered her tail and twisted around to see Mario.

"I'm not stranding him here," Mario said, he shuffled in the saddle, "he's only a kid."

The yoshi, Mila, snorted, "if you insist."

Roy followed behind Mario. He watched Minerva bounce in Mila's saddle, her lame arms swayed, and her nostrils stretched. Roy sighed. She was still breathing.

"Who's the girl, anyway?" Mario said when Roy was close enough.

"I'm not sure," Roy whimpered.

"What happened?"

"I don't know." Roy gulped.

Mario smacked Roy's muzzle with his hat, "what do you mean you don't know?"

Roy grimaced. A crowd of nomadimice shuffled bystanders through the sands.

Roy could barely make sense of his surroundings. The sand disfigured any common pathways. A fruit vendor's stall collapsed and tumbled down the road and smashed into a wall.

A hammer twirled through the air and nearly took Mario's head off. Mila turned to Roy and glared. A squad of Hammer troops surrounded the mice. The Sledgesoldier from earlier headed them. Roy ran in front of Mario and held his arms up.

"Wait, wait, stop fighting," Roy shouted.

The Sledgesoldier raised his hammer. "Where's Tack? What did you do to him?"

Roy's heart sunk into his gut. "Tack?" Roy croaked. His shoulders sunk.

"Where's Tack!?" The Sledgesoldier stomped toward Roy.

Mario and the yoshi stepped between Roy and the Sledgesoldier.

"You can sort this out later, this whole town's coming to pieces and if we don't hurry-"

A street sign tumbled down the road. Mario gasped. The sign smacked him off the yoshi's back. He rolled on the ground. His hat fluttered in the wind.

Mila gasped and ran to his side.

Roy felt a shift in the sands. The hammer soldier beside Roy drew his warhammer. Roy socked the hammer soldier's jaw and charged.

The hammer soldiers charged the nomadimice; the Sledge soldier helmed the advance.

Roy raised his fists.

A soldier swung at Roy. Roy juked back, the hammer whistled past. Roy kicked the soldier's gut and shoved him away. Other soldiers advanced on Mario as he lay in the sand.

Mila jumped on hammer soldier and slammed him into the ground beside Mario. Mila shielded Mario with her wings, her tail flexed sharp. The yoshi twisted and whipped another soldier's face. The Sledgesoldier smacked her gut with a hammer and threw her back.

The Sledgesoldier raised his hammer and brought it down over Mila's head.

Roy caught the hammer. His forearm bulged and veins pulsed. Roy yanked the Sledgesoldier forward and smashed the soldier's nose with his elbow.

The Sledgesoldier hit the sand hard. Blood trickled down his nostril. He dragged his arm across his lip and tried to stand.

Roy blinked and from the corner of his eye he saw it.

The light advanced like a tide. Ebbing and receding. The sand burned black. Skeletal hands burst from the ground and grabbed the fallen Sledgesoldier. The soldier screamed. He disappeared beneath the shifting sands in mere seconds.

Roy picked up Mario and touched the yoshi's neck, "are you good to carry him?"

Mila nodded. Roy hoisted Mario onto the yoshi's back. Mario's eyes fluttered. "What's going on?"

Nomadimouse, Hammer soldier, and Lapistonian alike ran for their lives.

"It found me," Roy wheezed. The buzzed hairs on the back of his neck raised.

Skeletal figures burst up from the sand and hobbled toward hapless townspeople. A toad-like skeleton grabbed a fleeing bookshop owner by the ankle. Other skeletons piled atop the Toad until the sand absorbed them.

Mario groaned as he rubbed his forehead, "what…"

"Move!" Roy snapped.

Mila fled. Roy sprinted beside her. Chunks of stone swirled through the air. Pebbles blasted the back of Roy's neck. His sand beaten brow tightened.

They approached the city limits. A loose squad of nomadimice emerged from the sandstorm. One covered his face, his palm stretched over his muzzle, he clenched his eyes shut. His companion grabbed his arm and shuffled him forward.

Roy vaulted a low wall near Lapiston's outer limits. He fumbled on his knees and forced himself to keep moving. Mila shrieked.

Roy turned. A sea of hands snatched Mila's ankles and scratched her scales. Roy ran toward them, sweat slithered down his cheeks and plopped on the ground, his jaw tightened.

Mila grabbed Mario and pulled him off her back.

"What are you doing?" Mario wheezed, he fought Mila's grip.

Mila hurled Mario over the wall. Roy caught him. Roy's toes dug into the sand, and he staggered back. Minerva soared through the air. Roy dropped Mario and caught her.

Mario hit the ground, rolled to his feet, and sprinted toward the wall. He leaned over the stonework. A wave of skeletal hands stretched upward toward him. Roy grabbed Mario's arm and pulled him back. Mario slipped from Roy's grip and leaned over the wall.

The sand swallowed Mila.

Mario wheezed and his head lowered. "No."

Roy draped Minerva over his shoulder. "It's not gonna stop."

Mario punched the wall, and he ran with Roy.

Roy imagined the screams hidden in the wind. His heart thudded in his throat.

A line of MK troops watched the chaos unfold at a distance. Mario stepped past Roy, shouting for help, he waved his hands. Roy carried Minerva. A bottomless pit of guilt bubbled in his guts.

X-X

Thick gauze covered Roy's eyes. The Koophari heat sat heavy on his shoulders. Shackles pinched his wrists. Boots pounded pumice where the desert changed. Armor clanked at the joints.

In his mind's eye, Roy saw the aching gash that was Lapiston. Swallowed by black sand.

Mario limped forward. His left cheek swollen. He hugged his ribs. Biting winds flecked his mustache.

"What happened down there?" A soldier asked Mario.

Mario looked at Roy, then shook his head.

Roy licked his lips. The MK soldiers all turned. Beyond his blindfold, he felt their heavy stares, and he imagined rows of eyes. The koopaling twisted his wrists. Hot tears trickled down his cheeks.

No one said anything.

X-X

The 'holding room' reeked of old books. Leathery volumes filled out the eastern wall. A book on ancient temples here. A compendium of mythologies there. Dense stuff. Far too dense for Roy.

Ludwig or Morty would love it.

Sunlight filtered through translucent orange drapes and bathed the room in a sherbert glow. Roy slumped on the too-small bed and let his arms hang over the sides. He deserved a bleak hole in the ground where no light could reach him.

Roy sniffled. A cold presence countered the room's warmth. He squeezed a pillow to his chest.

Waiting in the orange shadows, he saw a silhouette. Slender, long, and delicate. Arms spread wide seeking embrace. The darkness stretched longer. Roy rubbed his eyes.

Roy rolled out of his bed. He crawled on his hands and knees. Nose to the floor. Did it follow him? No way. It stayed in Lapiston. He saw it himself.

Roy paced the room. He sat on a short wooden stool and laid his head on a square table. Thick sheets of sleep weighed heavy on his eyelids.

A girl screamed. Roy's eyes shot open. His head lay sideways upon the face of the table. Drool pooled around his cheek.

Roy stood. His knees caught the table and turned it over. His lungs clenched. They refused to fill with enough air. Roy gasped. He smelled a faint rot amid the books and desert wind.

Roy tasted burnt hair in the back of his throat. He remembered Tack, how the silhouette touched him, how he exploded into dust. The baker and his son. They must have died the same way.

Bile brewed in Roy's gut. He covered his mouth. Stars above. How would it feel? Would it hurt?

You're next

A voice, his voice, rattled in the back of his mind.

It's what you deserve.

X-X

Roy sat in a corner opposite the window. A bookshelf barricaded the window-frame. No light entered. He stewed in the dark like a roach.

A steaming plate lay on the table. Pokey filets occupied the center of the plate. The meat was scarcely nibbled. Plump cherries imported from the west garnished the sides. A stout mug of water loomed on the right flank.

Roy's appetite died in Lapiston.

"He's not even touching it," a hushed voice hissed behind the door, "it's a waste of food."

"You want me to starve him?" Mario said.

"He wiped out Lapiston."

"And how exactly did he manage that by himself?" Mario said, sharply.

Boots shuffled on the carpet.

"His Majesty isn't going to like this."

"Toadsworth," Mario drew an exasperated breath, "forget what Agaricus thinks."

"You're lucky to have the princess's favor." Toadsworth huffed. "Such insubordination would have anyone else exiled, if not put to death.."

"Glad to know I'm the only one around here with any sort of decency," Mario grumbled. He pushed the door open.

Light carved a wedge in the middle of the room. Roy flinched, a humanoid shape manifested in the negative space. Roy covered his face.

Mario and the royal adviser stood in the door frame. Mario cleared his throat. Toadsworth left the doorway. Mario closed the door behind him.

Mario squatted to Roy's level. He took his hat from his head and smoothed his hair. Mario's lips tightened.

"Your father sent someone to retrieve you," Mario said, "they should be here by sundown."

Roy hid his face behind his knees.

"Still not talking?" Mario hummed. "No 'you'll never get away with this plumber boy?'"

Roy shrugged.

Mario dropped beside Roy and sat with his hands flat behind him.

"You're still not gonna tell me?" Mario said.

Roy hugged his knees and shook his head.

Mario's lips pursed, he nodded and leaned his head against the wall. Mario closed his eyes.

"Lots of good people are still out there," Mario said, "I need to know what I'm getting into when I go back."

Roy's eyes widened. "No."

"No?"

"Don't go back," Roy's jaw clenched.

"What's back there?" Mario said.

Roy turned away.

"Answer me, Roy."

Roy held his breath and bit his bottom lip. He said nothing.

Mario dusted his knees off and left the room.

X-X

Days passed like minutes. Hours passed like years. Roy hid in his room where he knew he was safe. He fastened the curtains shut. No light could enter.

Bowser pounded the door, "Roy, get out here, now." The handle jiggled. Locking pins clicked. The door swung open.

Roy refused to budge. The bags beneath his eyes bulged when he squinted at the door. For a split second, he was beneath Lapiston. The comforting dark fled from the piercing light. Roy covered his eyes.

"Bowser!" Kamek snapped. "Er, your Majesty!"

"Get lost Kamek," Bowser grunted, and he pushed his way into Roy's room. A golden key hung from his index finger.

"Don't take it out on him, it was my call to exchange Peach-"

"I don't care about that, I want my boy back," Bowser snapped.

"Well you're not going to help him going about it like this," Kamek hopped on his broom. He kicked off the ground and hovered eye level to Bowser. He swatted Bowser's nose with his wand.

Roy stared through Bowser. His black sclera trembled. The shadows from his sunken eye sockets hollowed out his face. His skin hung loosely off gangly cheekbones.

"Tack was supposed to keep an eye on him," Bowser's chin dipped, he rubbed his temples.

"Tack," Roy croaked, "he opened it."

Bowser's head perked up. "What?"

"They were going to use the treasures..." Roy covered his face. "I'm sorry, I should've stopped him," Roy whispered. "I should've."

Bowser and Kamek exchanged a glance. Bowser nodded toward the door. His gaze like fire. He shut the door behind him.

Roy waited a moment, then cracked the door open and peered out.

Bowser and Kamek walked down the empty Bedchamber hall. Bowser's footfalls echoed off the stone ceilings. They walked past a painting; it depicted a turbulent seascape where black waves tossed a steadfast frigate.

"Tack never came home, did he," Bowser mumbled.

"None of the Hammer troops returned from Lapiston."

Bowser grumbled, "you heard the boy, Tack must've had something to do with this."

"I knew you shouldn't have sent that bastard, I just knew it," Kamek said, an edge to his tone.

"Tack proved his worth. Besides, I thought Roy could handle himself, he's a tough kid," Bowser's muzzle twitched, "I was out there working for my father when I was far younger."

"He's not you," Kamek crossed his arms, "and you aren't Furic."

Bowser stomped and lifted Kamek by the robe. Kamek's broom clattered on the ground. "Choose your next words carefully."

Kamek adjusted his glasses, "please, you couldn't scare me when you were a child, you can't scare me now."

Bowser's eyelid spasmed.

"You aren't Furic," Kamek took off his spectacles and wiped away a smudge, "as much as you try to be him, it doesn't suit you."

Bowser lowered Kamek. His shoulders sulked. Bowser knelt down and put his head level with Kamek.

"What am I supposed to do Kamek?" Bowser said. "Roy's hurt, and I can't do a damn thing about it."

Kamek tucked his hand into his robe. He tapped his foot. "There might be something, but…"

"What?"

"It's not pretty," Kamek mumbled, "and I'd rather not speak of it where there are prying ears." Kamek nodded toward Roy's door.

"Then let's get moving," Bowser stood and stomped away.

X-X-X

"And then what?" Larry leaned around Roy's head.

Roy was silent for a moment. The crew chugged along a rickety pseudo-bridge. Wood and metal moaned. Lanterns illuminated the path ahead.

"That's where things get fuzzy again," Roy screwed his forehead, "my head hurts just thinking about it."

"So Kamek, he did something," Larry bit his bottom lip.

"Yeah," Roy squinted.

"Well, if anyone could muck up memories, it's Kamek," Rocky grunted. He jogged to match Roy's full stride.

Larry focused on his thumbs rather than see Roy hurt; it was surreal to see stone-faced Roy crack.

"But you can't run from something like that forever," Kaspar said.

"Minerva showed up again," Larry mumbled, "what are the odds?"

"Well, it's really no wonder why the lass hates you." Rocky sighed.

"I saved her life," Roy snorted, "I mean, it was my fault that it needed saving in the first place, but," Roy covered his mouth.

"Master Roy, if I may be a tad forward," Konrad walked closer to Roy, "what happened here wasn't your fault."

Kaspar nodded, "your father is to blame if you ask me."

Roy growled, "stop patronizing me. I ran and covered this up like a kid who pissed the sheets. These people deserved a better death."

Larry sat up straight, "well maybe we can fix it now."

"We can't even fix ourselves," Roy grumbled.

"Stop giving me that crap, I didn't play seeing-eye dog halfway across the Mushroom Kingdom so we can die in a hole," Larry jabbed Roy with his functioning heel.

Roy quirked his brow.

"Are you even the same person that jumped onto that crane and blew up all those bats?" Larry said. "I bet if we found Luddy and the others again, he might know something about that treasure you broke."

"Larry..." Roy sighed.

"I know you think Ludwig's a screwup," Larry said, then glanced aside, "and maybe he is a little bit, but he's got to know something about how to fix this."

"Whatever you say, kid," Roy said, "we have to find him first."

Eventually, the poorly constructed walkways ended. A bridge stretched forward, so far ahead that the other side was hidden by a veil of darkness. Spent lanterns dangled off the edge of the bridge. A crumbled structure in the center of the bridge revealed a spiral staircase that descended deep into the abyss.

An effigy guarded the once beautiful structure.

The effigy wore two skulls, a koopa and a toad. A torch jutted from its chest and brilliant orange light waxed against the darkness.

Larry shivered. His stomach twisted tighter the longer he stared. Konrad inched backward and hid behind Roy. Kaspar squeezed his club. Rocky sniffed in the effigy's direction.

The effigy's broad body was outfitted with a Sledge soldier's armor. Welded plates of iron with a familiar with a familiar crest in the center. "Stormguard?" Roy whispered.

The effigy's four arms stretched from the sides, splayed outward, ready for an embrace.

"We have to turn back," Roy whispered, "I think the treasures are close to here and that means," Roy gulped, "it's there."

Roy pivoted on his heels.

Larry gasped.

Roy glanced over his shoulder.

"It moved," Larry hissed.

Roy watched the effigy, his gut tightened. His heart beat in his ears, and he licked his teeth. The sandpaper texture of his tongue ached on the roof of his mouth.

The effigy was still.

"It's the light," Roy nodded, "the shadows make it look like its moving."

Larry whimpered.

Roy reached over his shoulder and flicked Larry's head. "Keep it together, squirt, I can't have you going crazy too."

A resounding clank shook Roy to the core. Roy's crew turned slowly. The effigy stood to its full height. Its legs were long and spider-like. The torch in its chest blazed brighter. The Dry Guardian sprinted forward, its spindled legs took it halfway across the bridge in a few bounds.

"Oh..." Roy tripped on his feet.

"Shit," Larry hugged himself tight to Roy's back.

Kaspar and Rocky caught Roy and propped him back up. Konrad ducked to the side.

The Guardian leaped over Roy and Larry. Its bones clicked upon landing. The creature drew a pair of warhammers from behind its back and held them high. The other two arms drew scimitars from scabbards. Its jaws clicked and twisted. At its full height, Roy merely stood at the creature's chest.

Roy clenched his fists and dug his heels.

It swung overhead. Roy scrambled out of the way. The hammer smashed the bridge, a spiderweb of cracks spindled outward.

Roy ran across the bridge toward the endless darkness. Kaspar and Rocky scooped up Konrad by his arms. They dragged him forward until he regained his footing. The Guardians armor clanged a frantic beat. Roy's shadow grew longer as the creature neared.

Can't stop. Won't stop. Don't stop. Roy stopped. The Dry Guardian was pushing him forward, prodding him to the Sanctuary, to certain doom. Roy looked down the spiral staircase. Haphazard plywood patches covered a few holes where stairs crumbled. Roy dragged a deep breath. He stepped forward on one of the spots.

Roy's foot punched through.

Larry swung around Roy's neck. His claws sunk into his older brother's skin and he dangled. He kicked to regain his footing.

Roy roared. His white teeth glistened in the dark. He yanked his foot free and tossed Larry over his shoulder like a scarf. Roy tiptoed around the holes, his calves burned.

The Guardian stepped over the holes. It took a second to test its footing before committing its weight. The heat from its torch bore down on Roy.

Roy dashed down the stone staircase. He fought for balance. One slip and the dark would engulf him. He kept close to the wall, his elbow scuffed the stone.

"We're screwed, so screwed," Larry whispered.

Roy forced every ounce of his strength into each step. The stone texture on his feet turned to wood. Before he realized it, the woodwork cracked, rusty nails pulled from their nests.

Roy's feet gave from beneath him. He tumbled sidelong towards the chasm. He reached for the ledge, his claws sunk into the stone. Larry headbutted Roy. They both cried out.

Konrad, Kaspar, and Rocky dropped beside Roy's arms and tried to pull him up.

Roy hooked his leg on the ledge and pulled himself to safety. He bent forward. The back of his head pounded.

Larry rubbed the soreness from his face.

The Dry Guardian swung one of its hammers. Roy ducked the attack.

"Can you lay off for," Roy grit his teeth, "One. Damn. Second." Roy roared and punched the Guardian's tibia.

The bone popped out of place; its upper body swung forward.

The Guardian dropped its warhammer beside Roy and staggered further down the staircase.

Roy lifted the discarded warhammer. His forearms bulged. Larry clung to Roy for dear life, his legs stretched outward as Roy swung.

The hammer connected and bones splintered. The Guardian buckled, its upper torso caved in on the rest of itself. The Guardian's shoulders and upper arms flew off into the dark. Its sword-bearing arms trembled.

Roy looked at the hammer then at what remained of his foe. He gasped for air. Sweat slicked his hands, he fought to hold his weapon.

Larry steadied himself, "did we win?"

The Guardian charged Roy, swords flailing.

"Spoke too soon," Roy squeezed his hammer. Larry dangled hapless from Roy's neck.

The Guardian swiped both swords, the blades whistled past Roy's muzzle.

Roy choked up on the hammer's hilt until the head was nearly in his hand. He dropped, then punched the Guardian's pelvis with the hammerhead. The pelvis blasted back. The entire creature's lower body crumbled.

The Guardian crawled forward, its two remaining arms acting as legs. The length of whole spinal column twisted into a scorpion tail.

"You're kidding me," Roy wiped the sweat from his brow and squeezed the hammer.

The tail extended forward, the vertebrae tethered by invisible bonds. Roy twisted to dodge. The pointed vertebrae changed course mid-strike and stabbed Roy's chest.

Roy gasped while blood trickled down his chest.

The tail reared back, this time aimed for his heart.

Roy held his breath. The stinger shot forward. Roy twisted out of its path, he reached out and snatched the tail.

The Guardian's body stiffened.

Roy cracked a smile, he dropped the hammer on the ground and grabbed the tail with both hands. He squatted, his inner thighs tensed, and his calves flexed. Roy began to spin. The Guardian's ribs scraped the floor, the remaining pieces of metal armor screeched.

Sparks flew. The Guardian's body lifted from the ground. Soon centrifugal force took the brunt of the work. Larry clung to Roy's back, screaming curses in primal tongues.

Roy hurled the Guardian into the open abyss. It twirled into the long dark. Roy huffed. He dropped to his knees and stared at the ceiling.

Larry eased down Roy's back, careful not to rest weight on his leg, and he sprawled on his back. "I'm gonna puke."

Roy winced, his chest ached, blood trickled down his pecs and over his gut. He pointed at the ledge, "do it over there."

Larry wobbled on his knees, his broken leg dragged, and he winced. Rocky and Konrad moved to help Larry. Kaspar skittered around Roy and examined Roy's chest wound.

"Come on then," Rocky tucked himself under Larry's arm and acted as a crutch. Konrad moved under the opposite arm.

Roy slumped and scooted away from the staircase ledge. "After today, we're even for the whole 'seeing-eye dog' thing."

Larry scowled, he closed his eyes and covered his mouth. Rocky and Konrad hobbled faster. Roy grimaced.

"Are you done?" Roy said.

Larry sniffled and lay flat on his stomach. His head rested on a cold granite step. Sweat pearled on his brow.

Roy shambled over and pressed the back of his hand on Larry's exposed temple. Roy winced, "crap, you're burning up."

Larry groaned and propped himself on his elbows.

"Why'd you have to get stuck with me," Roy grumbled.

Larry's head fell.

"I can fight, I can throw myself at a wall until it breaks, but the second I need to put something back together..." Roy slouched

Larry laid on his stomach and propped his chin on his forearms. His glare faltered.

"Ludwig could fix you up, Lemmy could cheer you up," Roy sighed.

Larry sat up and looked at Roy, his leg flared up, he fought his tears back.

"And here I am, barreling through a cave, screwing up my brother's leg even more," Roy rubbed his temples, "we need the others before I get you killed."

"Hey, you got us this far," Larry said, "you busted out of that cage, fought all those bandits, and kicked the crap out of that skeleton thing. I'm not sure Lemmy or Ludwig could have pulled that off."

Roy looked down at Larry. He opened his mouth to speak, but a metallic grinding stole his words.

Roy leaned over the black pit, and he saw a pair of white flames in the dark.

The torch in the Guardians chest flickered brighter, the flames agitated like a feline raising its hackles. It skittered up the sheer face of the rock wall, its armor scraped and clanged. Its leg bones reassembled at the hip.

Roy scooped up Larry and hung him off his back.

"The hammer, the hammer, don't forget the hammer," Konrad dragged the weapon.

Roy scooped the hammer, Larry dangled off Roy's neck and yelped. Roy tromped down the stone stairs. Further and further into the dark.

X-X-X

Mario's palms shifted to his side, he clenched his fists, dug his heels and watched the teal bandit. The bandit reached for his mask, a flash of ruby cloth slipped from the front of his coat.

The mask hit the floor. A koopa troop's beaky face peered from the hood. The Tealcoat smiled.

Minerva stopped. Her knees knocked together. She caught herself on feet that refused her control.

"Minerva?" Mario whispered.

Minerva roared and threw a punch. She blinked. Tack's ruby undercoat gleamed. He flashed a full step backward. Minerva's fist soared through the open air. She staggered forward and hurled another cross.

The bandit snapped to the side, caught her arm, and threw her to the ground.

Minerva slid along the floor. She snarled, pushed to her feet, and charged again.

Mario yanked her back.

"Let me," Minerva shoved Mario off, "go," her cheeks burned fearsome crimson. Her eyes bled tears.

The bandit flashed forward. He kicked her gut, twisted her arm around her back, and slammed her to the floor. His eyes were rigid.

Vine drew his rapier and pointed it at the bandit's throat.

"Put that down, or I'll put her down," the bandit spoke.

Minerva spit dirt as her face smashed into the ground.

Tack sighed, "I know you and I didn't exactly part on the best of terms, but at least give me a chance to explain myself."

Vine squeezed his weapon, both hands on the hilt, and he glared.

Tack leaned closer and whispered in Minerva's ear. "Or perhaps you don't want to know what happened to your brother?"

Minerva slumped on the ground. Her body lay still. "Vine, stand down," Minerva grunted.

"Captain…"

"I said stand down." Minerva snapped.

Vine sheathed the rapier.

Tack took his hands off her arm.

"That's better," Tack cracked his knuckles, the ex-Koopa troop paced Minerva.

The others gathered closer together. They looked at Minerva, then Tack. Junior leaned over to Ludwig. "Who is that guy?"

"I'm sure you've heard all about me," Tack licked his lips, "I bet Roy spun a terrible story about how I tried to betray the koopa kingdom and nearly sacrificed his soul to Star Treasures."

"Roy hasn't said a word about Lapiston to anyone," Ludwig mumbled, "and definitely nothing about whoever you are."

"That little bastard," Tack huffed, "he failed to mention we died in service of your family, then?"

"Was that before or after you tried sacrificing my brother?" Ludwig quirked his brow.

"If he said that, he's lying," Tack rolled his shoulders, "I've been nothing but loyal to the Koopa Royal Family."

Minerva stood up, she rubbed a kink out of her shoulder. "Where is my brother?" Minerva sniffed and wiped the blood from her bottom lip. "Answer me!"

Tack chuckled, "look at you. Making demands and hollering orders like you didn't just eat dirt."

Minerva scowled.

"Your brother's safe," Tack nodded, "a little on edge, but safe." Tack's irises flickered white, the color slithered back from the edges of his sclera.

Minerva's shoulders tensed. Her forearms flexed. She bent and lifted the curved sword that Tack had discarded. Minerva shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Your little posse shook up his welcome party," Tack shrugged, "I admit that's not easy to do."

Vine stood straighter and stood in front of Minerva. "The bandits who attacked us in the outskirts?"

Minerva stepped back. It couldn't be. The Teal Coat one who carried the storm.

"Your brother's one of them?" Vine pointed at Tack.

"Oh not just one of us," Tack's voice dripped with venom, "he runs half this damn town."

"He would've recognized me," Minerva said.

"Yeah?" Tack chuckled. "Maybe he did and, maybe, he didn't care."

Minerva's eyes moistened. Her lip twitched. She took a long breath, closed her eyes, and twirled the curved sword. "He tried to kill us," Minerva scoffed, "but you saved us?"

"Not from the goodness of my heart," Tack spit on the ground, "and certainly not for your sake. You did drag your crew right where I needed them, though, bravo."

Minerva raised the curved sword. Tack drew a dagger, sped forward in a flash of red light, and the dagger's blade tapped Minerva's throat. Minerva swallowed.

Vine swung his rapier and deflected the blade. He lashed out at Tack with his boot heel. Tack caught Vine's foot and flipped him on his back.

Mario and Luigi moved forward. Tack kicked the mannequin torso at Luigi's gut and staggered him. Daisy caught Luigi before he fell. Tack tapped Mario's forehead with the dagger's hilt, then flashed away in a veil of red smoke. He tucked his knife under Minerva's chin.

"Why did you save us then?" Minerva coughed.

Tack's mouth unfurled into a predatory grin. "I want out of this ghost town," Tack snarled.

"And what's stopping you from leaving?" Cheatsy stretched his arms over his head. "You look like you can take care of yourself."

"Well, here's the thing," Tack grumbled, "you enter Lapiston, you don't leave Lapiston. She sees to that.

Ludwig growled, then he squinted at Tack. "And who is 'she?'"

Tack released Minerva, he inched back, twirling his dagger. "If you all promise not to pounce me, I can shed some light on all of this."

Minerva rubbed her throat. Vine stopped beside her to help her up. She waved his arms back as she rose. Her knuckles whitened.

"Fine," Minerva grunted.

Tack sheathed his dagger, "follow me," he said.

X-X

Tack walked through the observatory lobby. The others followed close behind. Along the wall was a vast mural. Tack bowed and held his arm out to the painting.

A woman in blue robes held her arms outward. The paint on her face long since faded, but a halo of starlight crowned her head. She stood in front of the old Hari castle. Earthy skinned Hari soldiers marched, their fanged faces were warped by time. Their king stood at her side. His hand on his sword. A swirling sun insignia marked his breastplate.

"She goes by many names," Tack's voice echoed off the high ceiling, "Zta-Samia, The Queen of the Azure Sky," he cleared his throat, "or, simply, The Blue Maiden."

Tack tucked his arms behind his back and paced, "but you're probably more familiar with her handiwork outside."

Ludwig felt the Dry Behemoth's pounding footfall in his soul's memory.

Minerva reached out and brushed her fingers along the mural. "And they rejoiced under the clearest of blue skies," Minerva whispered, "for she had freed them from tyranny and lies."

"Excuse me?" Ludwig cocked his head.

"It's from a fairytale," Minerva whispered, "one my mother used to tell me."

Ludwig muttered, "okay so Samia's a, what, a necromancer?"

"You're cute," Tack crossed his arms behind the back of his head, "necromancer, pah," Tack snorted, "that's assuming she'll let you die."

Tack pointed at his chest with his thumb.

"Me? I've gone through at least six bodies in her service." Tack popped his neck. "Eventually she saddled me with my old body again, it's nice."

"Six times?" Cheatsy giggled.

"Hey, I've got like a twenty-point-oh kill to death ratio," Tack glared.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ludwig pressed his palms together, "what happens when your body dies?"

Tack rolled his shoulders, "well, I'm not all that sure," Tack shrugged, "everything whites out and I wake up in a new body."

"Memories and personality intact" Ludwig crossed his arms, "I assume."

"Every last piece," Tack sat on the first step of a spiral staircase. His arms crossed over his knees. "I think."

Ludwig looked up at the mural again. He dragged his claws through his hair. He closed his eyes, a moment, deep in thought. "Stars above."

"What?" Junior said.

"Not to alarm anyone," Ludwig cleared his throat, "but we're dealing with some serious shit here."

Ludwig held Cheatsy in front of him. "Whoever this Zta-Samia character is, she's capable of replicating the Maelstrom incident on her own."

Cheatsy's lips tightened; he glanced over his shoulder at Ludwig.

"I've been trying to make sense of this all," Ludwig shook his head, his wild hair bounced, "but, I know for a fact that Iggy's Power Star engine was the crux of the incident."

Ludwig lets go of Cheatsy. Ludwig paced, hand on his chin, and he nodded.

"And if a single Power Star is capable of replicating the Maelstrom and her crew, albeit imperfectly, someone with the means to build an army of Bluecoats, reanimate those bones, and replicate Tack's body from scratch…"

"So she's got a bunch of Power Stars?" Junior cocked his head.

"No," Minerva said, lines in her neck pulled taught, "something more."

Junior's forehead scrunched.

Vine gasped, "she's a Star Spirit?"

"Bingo," Tack pinched his thumb and forefinger into an okay symbol.

The crew stood beneath the mural. The Blue Maiden rose above them all. Her pale paint eyes stared out beyond them all.

"What have I gotten us into now," Ludwig covered his mouth.

X-X-X

The staircase was a spiraling Shepard's tone. Tumbling endlessly into the black bowels of the Lapiston caverns. Roy could smell wet clay. Out beyond the stairs, Roy saw a river. Firelight illuminated the sediment bed beneath the turgid waters. They bellowed and hollowed out the caverns further.

"I can't," Roy wiped the sweat from his brow, "I can't keep running."

"How do you kill something that's already dead?" Konrad wailed between haggard breaths. Konrad slipped near the staircase bend.

"Kon!" Rocky fumbled forward.

Kaspar yanked Konrad back to safety.

Konrad whimpered, "thanks."

"Watch out!" Kaspar ducked and dragged Konrad down. A sledgehammer swooped overhead and smashed the wall.

The Dry Guardian nipped at their heels. Its swords clattered against the stairs. Bone clacked on bone.

Roy overshot the final step of the staircase. Larry bucked forward on Roy's back. Their balance shifted, and Roy slammed on his face.

Roy crawled on his knees. The Guardian leaped from its perch. Its dual blades aimed to plunge. Roy rolled on top of Larry to dodge.

Larry screeched, he flailed beneath Roy's bulk.

The swords hit the hard stone and shattered. Metal splinters scattered outward. A bit of shrapnel nicked Roy's rib.

The Dry Guardian grabbed Roy's arms and lifted him off Larry. Roy's shoulder sockets ached as he fought the Guardian's grip. Roy clenched his teeth. Smoke trailed from his nostrils.

The Dry Guardian raised its shattered swords. Its firelight eyes met Roy's whitened irises. The guardian cocked its head, then caressed Roy's bare stomach with the jagged blade. A fine line of blood trickled down Roy's gut. The Guardian reared the haphazard daggers; Roy opened his mouth.

A flash of lightning blasted the Guardian back.

Roy smacked the ground. He grit his teeth arched his back and gasped. The Guardian planted its feet and twirled its swords. Roy rolled his head and saw Larry.

Larry propped himself up on his elbow and held his hand out. Electricity arc up his mohawk; his irises tinged red. Larry roared, a white light glowed from the back of his throat.

Arcs of lightning exploded from Larry's claws. They locked the Guardian in place. The Guardian's feet spread wide, its limbs trembled as it fought to break free.

Larry dragged himself closer toward the guardian. Blue lightning flared on his kneecap. He stood on his two feet. The wooden splint burned off.

Larry limped forward and blasted the Guardian again and again.

The Guardian's maws stretched open. The torch on its chest glowed brighter. Still, it fought the paralysis. Its arms twisted and writhed to strike.

Larry tripped slipped backward. His leg cracked. The lightning connecting his bones sputtered and tried to reconnect.

The Guardian lashed out.

Roy whiffed the coppery bite of blood mingled with pre-storm ozone.

Larry's fell flat on his back. His leg flopped to the side. It writhed as electricity sputtered out of its wounds.

What remained of Larry's stump twitched. Larry gagged, he rolled on his chest and heaved. A ball of blue muck spilled from his mouth. Electricity crackled in the puddle of mess.

"No, no, no," Larry wheezed, "keep it together."

The Guardian swung its hammer overhead.

Larry roared and lobbed a ball of lightning at the Guardian. The energy lingered on the torch in its chest. The Guardian dropped its hammer.

A bolt tethered Larry's claws to the torch. The Guardian's eyes grew brighter. Larry flexed his forearms. The lightning intensified. Its jaws slacked. Suddenly, its eyes snuffed out. The torch exploded. Bones and armor scattered across the room.

The bones sizzled as they crumbled into dust.

Larry slumped on the ground. His body trembled. He lay on his side. The redness left his irises.

Roy kicked to his feet and scooped up Larry, the young koopaling's body burned like hot iron. Roy ran to the roiling river and dunked Larry's lower body into the water. Blue lightning arced on the surface. Steam rose from Larry's body.

"Come on, stay with me," Roy grit his teeth.

Larry's eyes eased shut. His head slumped back. The heat faded.

Roy dragged him from the water. His hands trembled. He looked Larry up and down. "Kid?"

Larry's knee was a burned at the tip. His Ember cauterized the stump where his leg had been hacked off.

"Larry?" Roy shook his brother frantically.

Larry groaned. He coughed up blue muck, and it dribbled down his chin. He wheezed. "Did I kill it?"

"Dammit, don't scare me like that," Roy hugged Larry to his chest.

Larry shivered, "don't," Larry coughed, "don't tell Luddy."

"Shut up, ya hypocrite," Roy sputtered into laughter.

"Was it badass though?" Larry wheezed.

Roy nodded. "Very."

"Good," Larry wiggled his stump, his brow twisted. He looked down at his thigh. His eyes widened.

"Okay, don't panic," Roy grabbed Larry's face and turned it away from the leg, "it's better than it looks."

Larry fainted on the spot.

"Well," Roy sighed, "shit." He climbed to his feet and carried Larry in his arms.

Rocky, Konrad, and Kaspar peered around a stalagmite.

Kaspar uttered a string of Mousian words. Roy could only imagine they were expletive. "What did, how did-"

"So, so," Konrad's tapped his foot, and his knees twitched, "Embers. Embers can kill them."

Rocky sniffed a small pile of dust. "why'd you hold back on yours? Larry nearly killed himself."

"That's exactly why I held back," Roy grumbled, he held Larry toward Rocky, "this isn't some easy magical solution, it'll eat you alive if you're not careful."

"Still," Rocky grunted, "you should've done something before forcing the kid to go all in like that."

"I was working on it," Roy bit his bottom lip. "We need to find the others, now more than ever," Roy shook his head, "Ludwig's gonna kill me."

"Well, where do we go from here," Konrad looked up at Roy.

"We can't go back the way we came, not if there's any more of those creatures up there," Roy mumbled.

Kaspar thumbed a carved relief in the wall. Chipped bits of old blue paint flaked on his fingers. The delicate detail carvings spanned the entire wall. Kaspar looked further ahead.

"Now that looks interesting," Kaspar whispered.

Roy squinted. Ancient torches illuminated the path ahead. Their spectral blue fire shrouded a towering temple in the distance. Most of its stained glass windows were shattered, but one caught Roy off guard. The Seven Stars on their cosmic thrones.

"It's a Temple?" Roy inched forward. "One for the Star Spirits."

"It looks off, somehow," Konrad mumbled, "the blue one, it's the wrong shade. Too intense."

"Lapis," Roy said.

A low rumbling seized Roy's attention. A flashing elevator lift lowered from the cavern ceiling onto the roof of the temple.

"Looks like trouble," Rocky grunted.

"And a way out of here," Roy stepped forward.

"Not sure there isn't much fight left in you," Kaspar tapped Roy's elbow, "there must be another way."

"We could procure some disguises," Konrad shrugged, "I'm sure there's a bluecoat in your size, sir."

"And Larry?" Kaspar cocked his head.

"Cargo," Roy nodded, "we'll need a decent sized cargo box, and we can get him aboard that elevator."

"Yes, yes, but how do you all intend to gather these supplies," Kaspar sighed, "no offense intended, but none of you are quite stealthy."

"Yeah, but we've got a master thief and smuggler on the team," Roy smiled at Kaspar.

Kaspar's shoulders slouched.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do," Kaspar dusted his hands, he picked up the Guardian's shattered sword. The broken weapon was dagger length to the mouse. "Try to stay out of sight."

Roy carried Larry behind a bed of stalagmites. Konrad and Rocky followed close behind. Roy sat down, his back against a wall, and he laid Larry down beside him. Roy closed his eyes.

Kaspar held the dagger in reverse grip and skittered off among the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  Tried to get this finished up before the month was out! From this point on I'm going to experiment with shorter updates that will, hopefully, post on a more frequent schedule (famous last words, I know). Thank you, everyone, for your patience and continued support for this story. I appreciate all of you, from the silent readers to the frequent reviewers.


	15. Jettatura

###  **Chapter 15: Jettatura**

The earth rumbled as the Dry Behemoth patrolled the observatory grounds. It blotted what little light fed into the room; its skeletal shadow lurched along the walls.

Vine sat on an overturned bucket. He took off his spotted cap and leaned forward. His sweat-matted blond hair flopped over his eyes.

"Vine?" Junior squatted beside the Toad.

"Hm?" Vine straightened his back.

"Are you alright?" Junior plopped on the ground beside Vine. He crossed his legs.

"Thinking about home," Vine itched sand from his eye wells, "my mom's probably worried sick, my dad's probably trying to pretend nothing's wrong."

"You still live with them?"

"Nah," Vine shook his head, "not since I started working at the castle. But they probably know I'm on the run with Mario." Vine's shoulders slouched.

Junior drummed his claws on the floor.

"I wonder, will they forgive me?" Vine mumbled.

"Your parents?"

"Everyone back home," Vine looked out at the others, "as far as they're concerned, I abandoned my kingdom to work with Koopas on the mad whims of the so-called 'Super Mario.'"

"You mean you regret helping us?" Junior's breathing slowed.

Vine turned his body to face Junior, "sometimes I do, but I know what I signed up for."

"Oh," Junior sighed.

"Sorry kid, I didn't mean it like that," Vine rubbed Junior's shoulder, "I'm worried is all. Even if we make it out of here, things won't be the same for me. Home might not be home anymore, you know?"

"Well if that stupid Toad council exiles you, you can live in the Darklands."

"Oh really?" Vine smirked.

"Yeah!" Junior nodded. "There's room at Castle Koopa. The Guardhouse is always looking for new recruits. You could be my Royal Guard."

"And I suppose your father would have no problems housing an MK expatriate?" Vine arched his brow.

"He'd take my word for it," Junior said.

"A tempting offer," Vine chuckled, "but I might have to pass."

"Then where would you go?"

Vine's eyes fell. He shrugged and said nothing. He looked toward the mural where their glorious leaders were going at it again.

Minerva stood, stone-faced and resolute as always. Yet her eyes belied fire. The captain frightened Vine when her emotions boiled near the surface. She was out for blood.

Mario and Ludwig gestured furiously at each other. Mario argued as if he stood equal height to the monstrous Koopa. Vine envied such natural confidence. The Toad knight thumbed his rapier's hilt.

"Tack's bad news," Junior said.

"Agreed," Vine squeezed his sword, "but obviously he needs us, or he would've killed us by now."

"You totally could have beaten him," Junior said, "but then he had that weird magic."

Vine watched Tack. The ruby glimmer of his undercoat caught Vine's eye.

"Maybe if I distracted him, you could go in and stab him," Junior whispered.

"That 'magic' you mentioned seems to enhance his reflexes," Vine said, "we all charged him at once and he knew what we were doing before we even knew we were doing it."

Junior cocked his head at Vine.

"I think he's got a Star Treasure," Vine mumbled, "and I have a feeling he's using us to get his hands on the rest."

Junior's grunted, "I have to warn Ludwig."

Vine grabbed Junior's shoulder, "not yet, Tack'll take us out the moment he thinks we're useless to him."

Junior slumped back.

"We have to separate him from that treasure somehow," Vine grumbled.

"What does it even look like?"

"It's part of his coat, I think," Vine said, "see that red glow?"

Faint as it was, Junior saw. The koopaling nodded. The hairs on his arms stood on end.

"What do we do?"

"We let him think he's winning," Vine mumbled, "our main advantage is that he doesn't know we know." Vine leaned closer to Junior. "And when he thinks he's truly beaten us, he'll let his guard down-"

"And then Tack takes a dirt nap," Junior smirked.

"Right," Vine said, "so be on guard. We'll only have a small window."

Junior nodded. His claws tensed. He watched Ludwig and Mario argue, and he exhaled slowly.

X-X

Ludwig dragged both hands through his hair, and he sighed. "We're not beating a Star Spirit, not on our own."

Mario tugged his gloves tighter, "and you think trusting one of 'Her' minions is a good idea?"

"Minion? That's what you think of me?" Tack stood from his seat on the spiral staircase and sauntered over, "that's what I can't stand about this arrangement, I'm always under someone else's thumb. If it's not Bowser, it's a Star."

"Tack," Ludwig rubbed his temples, "perhaps if you showed us how you intend to overthrow an all-powerful deity-in-the-flesh, we could come to a decision."

"For one, she's not all-powerful," Tack nodded at Ludwig, "when Roy released Zta-Samia from her prison-"

"Roy did what?" Ludwig snapped.

"Right, he told you nothing," Tack rolled his eyes.

Mario raised his arms, "alright, alright, rewind. You mean Roy really was responsible for," Mario choked, "for all of this?"

"You were pretty adamant in seeing that Eye, if I recall," Minerva squinted.

Tack rubbed the back of his neck, "uh, I mean I was under orders to find it."

"Minerva," Mario turned toward her slowly, "what do you know about this?"

Minerva took a step back, "I don't remember everything too clearly. This bastard," Minerva pointed at Tack, "I'm certain he opened The Eye of the Stars."

"The what?" Ludwig closed his eyes and put his palms together.

"Nothing. Just the sacrificial altar queen bitch's family was guarding," Tack shoved Minerva's hand aside.

"So that monsters like you wouldn't use it!"

"Sure you weren't hoarding the Star Treasures for your own little uprising?"

Ludwig roared. The others flinched and an uneasy silence filtered through the room. Ludwig's chest heaved. He looked Tack up and down. "Enough nonsense, what did Roy do?"

"Okay, I opened The Eye. Guilty as charged," Tack held his hands up, "but your brother, in his infinite wisdom, destroyed the apparatus in a fit of jealousy." Tack twiddled his thumbs. "He wasn't about to let some 'minion' upstage him. So he damned us all."

Ludwig's head bowed, and he turned toward Minerva, "you were there, weren't you? Is this true?"

"I..." Minerva looked down, and she closed her eyes, "I remember leading Roy and Tack to the Eye, I remember there was a fight, my father and my brother were there..."

Tack's his eyes lit up. He disguised behind a tender frown. "I see, so when the Eye hit you, the sheer trauma screwed with your head."

"The Eye hit me?" Minerva whispered.

"Yes. An unfortunate accident, when Roy attempted to destroy The Eye, you got blasted," Tack shook his head.

"Something still feels off," Minerva mumbled.

"I would want to forget the pain too. When 'She' got a hold of me," Tack shivered, "I imagine you went through something similar."

"All this time," Ludwig said, "and he never told me."

"He was simply a child way in over his head," Tack shrugged, "don't hold him too accountable. Your father was the one who entrusted a child with a soldier's work."

Ludwig frowned. He weighed the new information in his mind. "This 'Eye,' it imprisoned her?"

"Oh yes," Tack nodded, "not only sealed her away but also weaponized her. These Hari were nasty folks," Tack nodded at the fanged faces on the mural.

Minerva squeezed her sword.

"And some pieces are coming together," Ludwig clasped his hands, "you intend to rebuild The Eye to imprison her once again?"

"Right on the money," Tack clapped slowly.

"Where do we come into play?" Ludwig paced while the gears in his brain cranked.

Tack sat on the staircase once more, "funny thing is, I'm not all that great at reassembling magical weapons of mass destruction."

Ludwig was silent. His muzzle tightened. He looked over at Minerva and Mario.

"But I do recall you had a knack for tinkering," Tack pointed at Ludwig with his chin, "I would have preferred your beanpole brother wandering into this hellhole, but you'll have to do."

Minerva leaned closer to Ludwig and whispered, "Ludwig, tread carefully here. What happens after he gets his way?"

Ludwig gulped, "and if I refuse?"

Tack stood, drew his dagger from its sheath, and flashed red. The blade disappeared from his palm and reappeared in Junior's chest across the room. Junior gagged and slammed to the floor.

Vine slipped off his bucket and crawled toward Junior. "Dammit," he leaned over Junior.

Junior coughed and gagged.

"You've got a room full of people counting on you," Tack raised his hands and bowed, "be a shame if you failed them."

Ludwig sprinted toward Junior. The delayed panic squirmed in his neck. He dropped to his knees and scooted beside Junior.

Junior coughed and gasped for air. His eyes watered. "I can't, I can't breathe," Junior wheezed.

Ludwig grunted, his hands trembled, "okay there's a puncture, a puncture, air's getting in," he looked around the room, "Vine get me one the field kits."

Vine nodded and scampered toward the back of the room where they dropped off their supplies. He fished through the Koopaling's bags for the clunky first aid kit. He returned with the field med bag, it rattled in his shaky arms, and he dropped it by Ludwig.

Ludwig unfurled it. He fumbled for a bottle of clear liquid, a syringe, gauze, and tape. Hot sweat trailed down his forehead. He poured the clear liquid in his hand and washed his hands.

"Okay, we have to get the knife out, you pull it, and I'll address the wound," Ludwig gulped. He grabbed the clear liquid. "Ready for this?"

Vine inhaled deep and nodded slowly.

"Go!"

Vine eased the blade from Junior's chest. Junior wailed and choked, but the breath would not come. His eyes squeezed shut. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks.

Ludwig splashed the wound with the clear liquid. The liquid hissed and bubbled as it interacted with the blood. The crusty sealant began

to form. Ludwig threw the gauze pad atop the wound and pressed.

"Slow down, Junior," Ludwig said, "try to calm yourself."

Junior wheezed. His legs tensed. He sobbed.

"He still can't breathe," Vine shook his head, "why can't he breathe?"

"There's an air bubble in the chest cavity," Ludwig mumbled, he grabbed the empty syringe. He pointed the needle at Junior's chest. The needlepoint faltered. Ludwig's eyes widened.

"What are you waiting for?" Vine snapped.

"I've only ever seen this performed," Ludwig said, "Kamek did this part."

"You're gonna have to wing it," Vine said.

"If I stab the lung-"

Junior slumped back. The fleshy part of his lips lost their color. His eyes waxed distant. Junior's jaws stretched for oxygen it could not receive.

Ludwig rolled his lips. Held his breath. He pushed the empty syringe into Junior's chest.

The syringe plunger popped upward. Junior gasped. He took a thick mouthful of air. His chest relaxed.

Ludwig put his head to Junior's heart and listened for rattling lungs. Junior's racing palpitations bubbled in Ludwig's ears. Junior drew a mostly clean breath.

"I think his undershell was tough enough to stop most of the penetration," Ludwig mumbled, "if the blade did reach his lung, there's no puncture," Ludwig sighed.

"What if there is?"

Ludwig handed Vine a bottle of redcap extract, "see to it that he takes this, if the wound is small enough, this should heal it before things get worse." Ludwig stood from Junior's side and hobbled away.

"Wait, what if he needs more help," Vine looked up from Junior, "Ludwig?"

Ludwig stopped in front of Tack, "fine, you've made your point," Ludwig spit, "I'll help you."

Tack nodded, "I knew you'd see reason," Tack beckoned Ludwig to follow.

Ludwig turned over his shoulder and watched the others. Most of them ran to Junior's side. Cheatsy peeked from the below the staircase and looked up at Ludwig.

Cheatsy put a claw to his lips and followed behind Ludwig up the staircase.

X-X

Wind tones whistled through open holes in the observatory's roof. The metallic dome that housed the telescope rattled. The telescope itself was in shambles. Sorted piles of salvage encircled a shattered lens. The lens shards were meticulously assembled like puzzle pieces; dried blood matted the smooth edges.

Ludwig tip-toed over piles of scrap, his ponderous paws bumped a tidy collection of lug nuts and screws.

"Watch it," Tack snapped.

Ludwig grunted, he maneuvered away from the pile, his claws clicked on the floor. "What is all of this?"

"You're gazing upon one of the legendary Star treasures." Tack put a hand on his hips and pointed at the shattered lens.

Ludwig leaned over it. A star insignia marked the center, like a crosshair. Ludwig's evil eye tingled. The primordial parts of his brain urged him to flee.

"This is 'The Eye?'" Ludwig said.

"Doesn't look like much, but trust me, this thing toppled whole kingdoms in its day," Tack approached the telescope.

Ludwig squatted beside the shattered lens. He squinted and, through the glass, he saw a world of fire. Vaguely humanoid silhouettes stood out among the flames. He recognized Mario's stout shape, Junior's supine body, Minerva's stern stature.

"Neat trick, it can see through walls?" Ludwig said.

"And I thought you were the smart one," Tack said, "you can see the world as the Stars do: controlled pockets of pure energy."

"Curious," Ludwig muttered, "and how did such a simple thing contain a Star Spirit?" Ludwig pinched one of the larger shards between his claws, and he held it to his eye. He scanned the room.

A flowing ruby serpent encircled Tack's body. In the shadows, where Cheatsy hid, he saw surging bolts of electricity mingling with the flames. Ludwig licked his lips.

The energy from the shard was familiar. Living energy. It throbbed in Ludwig's hand as if it were living flesh. It felt like an Ember.

Ludwig aimed the shard, closed his right eye, and searched for a simple target. After a second of searching, he settled on a wooden crate across the room. Ludwig tightened his grip. A sharp pain burrowed from inside his evil eye.

Concentrate. Ludwig blinked tears from his eye. He envisioned a flame in his core. The blaze moved from his center, through his arm, and into the shard.

A beam of orange energy blasted from the shard. Ludwig yelped, but he held tight. The glass cut into his palm. The beam struck the box. Small pearls of orange energy emerged from the crate, and the beam siphoned them into the shard. Ludwig's hand trembled. He stifled his Ember.

Ludwig dropped down his knees, he clutched the shard, blood trickled down his forearm. He gently laid the glass on the ground. The fire in his core boiled.

The lingering pain in his evil eye subsided for a little moment. His Ember flared. The cut on his hand sealed in seconds.

Ludwig felt energized. Like caffeine hit his system. Ludwig inspected his hand.

"Did I just," Ludwig looked up at the box. The crate crumbled into white ash. His chest pounded.

Tack applauded, "how'd you make it work without an apparatus?"

Ludwig nodded. He stared at the shard, tempted to find a new target. He felt reawakened. Beyond alive.

"Did you simply 'envision the Eye-opening' or something like that, because I've tried that for years," Tack carefully lifted a shard, his fingers tensed.

"I'm not sure," Ludwig said, he held his breath and tried not to meet Tack's gaze.

Tack laid the shard down.

"Okay I'm going to take a wild guess," Ludwig nodded, "you want me to assemble a cannon from the telescope and eye," Ludwig said. His evil eye quivered.

"Uh, yeah," Tack tucked his arms behind his back and nodded, "that's exactly it."

Ludwig knelt beside the shards, he smudged the glass with his thumb, and he squinted. "Now how to fix you up?" Ludwig told the broken Eye and nudged two large shards together. He rode high on the energy he absorbed.

Ludwig's Ember sparked inside him, almost involuntarily, and the tips of his claws glowed white. He traced his nails along the seam where the shards broke. The glass began to seal.

Tack held his breath. The greed in his eyes was palpable. He clenched his fists.

Ludwig went to work on other parts of the lens. His heart raced. Sweat pearled down his forehead. Steady, Ludwig, steady. He wheezed. Ludwig lowered his hand. Gossamer heat waves radiated from Ludwig's back.

"Why are you stopping?" Tack snapped.

"I'm wearing myself down," Ludwig grunted, "I need something to cool off."

Tack reached inside his coat and tossed Ludwig a water canteen.

Ludwig unhooked the lid. The edges of his vision began to blur. Ludwig downed the contents of the canteen. Steam rose from Ludwig's chest. His head slumped back. The burn was still present, but diminished, he dropped the container.

"I don't have it in me to fix this thing," Ludwig said, his head drooped.

"Better figure it out, or do you want me to have a chat with your brother?" Tack drew his sword.

Ludwig flinched. "You realize that this could kill me, Right?" Ludwig turned over his shoulder. "I die before I finish, you don't get your weapon, and none of us escape."

Tack sheathed his weapon, "that does complicate things." Tack paced and rubbed his chin. "Alright, what do we need to do to speed up this process?"

"Rest," Ludwig sighed, "my body needs rest," Ludwig looked at his hands, "I've pushed myself too much. My Ember," Ludwig's eye stung, "it's starting to use me as a resource, it's burning me to power itself."

The Devouring, Ludwig grimly noted. This was it. His Ember would consume his mind, body, and soul until only the Ember remained. In his place, a Dry Bones. Ludwig cupped his hand over his evil eye.

That's one way to drop some weight, Ludwig supposed. He stood up and backed away from the lens. His aching thighs trembled.

"We don't have time for you to rest," Tack said, "it's only a matter of time before Samia discovers I've been hiding you here."

"Can't you stall her?" Ludwig grunted. "Tell her we were spotted elsewhere?"

"If only it were so simple," Tack sighed, "the longer you're in Lapiston, the stronger your scent grows." Tack paced rapidly. "The only thing truly keeping you hidden is sensory overload."

"Sensory overload?"

"She sees the world as energy, remember?" Tack picked up a shard and waved it, "you're swimming in a sea of it."

Ludwig muttered, "the longer I keep at this, the more I stand out."

"Again, it's only a matter of time," Tack said, "we can't wait for you to catch your breath."

Something inside Ludwig stirred. Something akin to starvation or sleep deprivation. Ludwig picked up the large segment of the reforged lens. It was nearly as broad as his chest.

The ground rumbled beyond the observatory. The Behemoth! Ludwig's mind went to work.

"There might be a way to expedite this," Ludwig whispered. The words barely felt his own.

X-X

Mario took his hat off his head. He slid to the floor left of Luigi. Mario propped his elbows on his knees. "How're you faring?"

Luigi's soft snoring ceased. He tilted up his cap. Luigi's eyes were puffy with sleep. He blinked twice.

"My back hurts," Luigi grunted, he sat up straighter, "my anxiety's through the roof, and I think my Xanax prescription expired."

"You don't say," Mario sniffed, "I'm sorry for letting you get caught up in all of this. I should've put my foot down back in the MK."

"You saying I can't speak for myself?"

"No, I-"

"Relax. It's not your fault. I just, you know, followed my heart," Luigi nodded at Daisy. She laid her head on his lap. Her breathing was steady. Daisy's taut eyelids trembled as dreams stirred her mind.

Mario stared upwards at the holey rafters. Where lights shone through and illuminated the dusty faced travelers. The windstorm raged, and with it came more black sands.

"Still think

you made the right choice?" Mario said. "About Ludwig and his treasure hunt?"

Luigi wrinkled his upper lip, "either way I'd be in some godforsaken hole in a place where everything's trying to kill me. At least here we can find something to beat Agaricus's sword."

Mario sighed. "He told me that it was destroyed."

"And you believed him," Luigi smirked.

Mario slouched.

"That's the problem with you bro," Luigi tucked his cap over his eyes, "you hope for the best things from the worst people."

"Well, at least your father-in-law isn't a tyrant."

Luigi snorted. "My father-in-law's not in the picture at all."

"Exactly! Sometimes, just sometimes, I envy you," Mario chuckled.

Luigi hummed. "You really should rest, we might not get another chance for awhile."

Mario shook his head, "I'm not letting my guard down anywhere near that Tack guy."

"When your eyes are getting heavy, and you're falling asleep involuntarily, and you're helpless but to watch while you get-"

"Alright mother," Mario pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't think I could sleep, even if I wanted to."

Mario traced the stitches on his cap. The 'M' emblem was distinct upon his gloved fingers. Toom, toom, toom. Mario's ears zeroed in on heavy footfalls. Ludwig was coming back.

"I hope he's got good news," Mario kicked to his feet and followed the noise.

X-X

"Of all your awful ideas, I think this is the worst one," Junior said. He wobbled beside Ludwig. He hugged his bandaged waist.

Ludwig lumbered towards the observatory entrance. His back was straight. He held chest high and sucked in his gut. He held the cluster-shard tucked beneath his underarm.

"You're not really going out there, are you?" Vine said. The Toad walked behind Ludwig. His dust smothered hands dropped below his hips.

"I don't have a choice," Ludwig hugged the cluster-shard. A red glimmer flared in his evil eye.

"And if you die trying?"

Ludwig grabbed the door handle. The metal rafters groaned. Ludwig's toes curled against the rumbling earth. The Behemoth awaited beyond the observatory doors. He gulped.

"What's going on?" Mario jogged towards the group by the door.

"Ludwig's acting stupid again," Junior said.

"Tack intends that I reforge a weapon capable of defeating Samia," Ludwig said, "and I need a lot of energy to complete it."

Minerva ran up from behind Mario. Her eyes fixated on the cluster-shard.

"A weapon made from the Eye," Ludwig raised the cluster-shard.

Mario moved between Ludwig and Minerva. "But you said it yourself, you don't have enough juice to beat that thing out there."

"I'm not going to kill it, I'm going to siphon it," Ludwig showed the others the cluster-shard, "the Eye, though incomplete, might sap me the energy I need."

"No way," Junior put himself between Ludwig and the door. "You can't trust what Tack's saying, he's going to get you killed."

"This was my idea to fix it," Ludwig growled.

"And that's definitely why it's not going to work," Junior snapped.

Ludwig's nostrils flared. He wanted to cut down his brother. Burn out his impudence.

But, in his mind's eye, he saw Junior with the dagger in his ribs. Choking for air. Bleeding, struggling, dying. Ludwig's eyes softened.

"Junior," Ludwig hugged the cluster-shard, "the only reason you're still alive is Tack 'let' me save you. If I don't do this, he might not give me another chance."

Junior's fiery gaze burned strong.

"You've got every right to hate me, after what I said," Ludwig grumbled, "and I certainly don't deserve your concern."

Junior's lips clenched. "I don't care if you get yourself killed," Junior's brow knitted and twisted, desperate to hold his angry face, but the act was failing, "but who's gonna fix us up when we get hurt? What'll Larry and Roy think if you don't come back?"

"Come on. It's going to take more than a giant bone demon to put me down," Ludwig smiled.

Junior's jaws tightened.

"Stars, you're starting to sound like Bowser," Mario mumbled.

The smile left Ludwig's face.

Junior's eyes trembled, he looked as if a ghost touched his tail.

"What is it now?" Ludwig put a hand on his hip.

"You wanted to know what Lord Bows- dad," Junior gritted his teeth, "what dad said to me? That day we left?"

"Hasn't crossed my mind for a while, I'll admit," Ludwig said.

"Dad said you're a jerk," Junior said, " and you'll probably try and do things your own dumb way. Just like he would. He wanted me to make sure you didn't do anything too stupid and keep your head on straight because I was more like..." Junior shook his head and sniffled.

"Mom," Ludwig whispered.

Junior stumbled away from the door. "I hated him for saying that," Junior crossed his arms, his cheeks burned hot and hid his eyes with his hands, "he doesn't see me as strong or scary or tough like him."

Ludwig's eyes widened. The raging envy felt familiar. Internally familiar.

"I hated you, too," Junior choked, "why does he look at you and see that, huh?"

Ludwig ran his palm through his hair. Everyone was staring.

Junior's shoulders trembled, "but just now, dad was right. You're gonna do things like he would do it."

Ludwig sighed, "Junior?"

"If, if," Junior blubbered, "if you hate me. Then, then dad," Junior covered his mouth.

Ludwig put his hand on Junior's shoulder. "I don't hate you, alright?" Ludwig bit his bottom lip. "I just miss mom," Ludwig sniffed.

Junior's neck bent forward. Hot tears trailed down his cheeks. His eyes squeezed shut.

"And Bowser," Ludwig said, "he didn't say that because he thinks less of you, it's because he thinks less of himself."

Junior looked up, his eyes swollen and red.

"I think he's afraid of what I'd do because I'm too much like him," Ludwig whispered, "and, idiot that I am, proved him exactly right."

Junior wiped his face on his forearm.

"When mom died, Bowser got lost in his head," Ludwig mumbled, "and you know what, so did I. He took it out on the Mushroom Kingdom. I took it out on you."

Ludwig leaned down to Junior's eye level.

"But it turns out Bowser got one thing right, and this is how I know he never hated you," Ludwig said, "you carry mom's spirit. Her legacy. Bowser, of all people, recognized that." Ludwig tapped Junior's chest.

Junior nodded a couple of times.

"And I should have a long time ago," Ludwig said.

Junior clenched his fists. He sobbed softly. Ludwig tapped Junior's chin.

"But right now, I need you to trust me," Ludwig said, "I have to do what it takes to keep you guys safe. No matter what."

Junior wiped his face on his arms. He steadied his voice between the shaking. "You're going to die."

Ludwig opened his mouth to argue but stopped. He clamped his jaw shut. "Then help me work out the kinks, set me straight on this."

Junior glared a second, but scoffed back a laugh in disbelief, "well, how do you plan on fighting the monster out there on your own?"

Ludwig held up the cluster-shard. "This is a legendary Star Treasure. Far as I can tell, it can pull the Ember out of things and replenish my own."

Junior's face flatlined, "you know that sounds exactly like dark magic, right?"

Ludwig sighed, "I can't rest to replenish myself. The longer I wait, the closer Samia comes to finding us."

"You don't mess with stuff like this, it's gonna have consequences."

Ludwig's heart thudded. Again he felt that restless hunger. A desire to become whole. Ludwig pushed the thoughts back.

"I understand the implications, and it's a risk I'm willing to take," Ludwig said.

Junior hugged his ribs and glanced around the room. Vine was lost in his thoughts. He drummed his fingers on his thigh.

"Why would the Stars make something like this?" Vine whispered.

Ludwig and Junior turned toward him.

"Embers are your thing, right? Your dark magic." Vine said. "Why would they make something that meddles with it?"

Ludwig held the cluster-shard in the light. Again he saw the world of fire. The burning silhouettes of his companions jumped out at him.

"Everything has an Ember, sentient or otherwise," Ludwig said softly, "and the Stars created the world from themselves."

Vine held his breath. Minerva stood rigid. Her thoughts set on Agaricus's parting words. On Kingsbane.

"I think what I call 'Ember,'" Ludwig gulped, "you know as a Star."

X-X

Ludwig and Junior slipped outside into the windstorm. Ludwig covered his mouth as the swirling sands whipped his hair. He crouched behind a low wall. He cradled the cluster-shard to his chest. The shard pulsed with his body.

Junior scanned the landscape with his spyglass. The Dry Behemoth stormed around the collapsed garden. Dry Bones of all sorts consorted beside its legs. Their unsteady gaits put knots in Junior's stomach.

"It's got a posse," Junior said.

"Great," Ludwig peered around his cover, "anything else out there?"

Junior looked toward the city. Shadows maneuvered through the buildings. A bluecoat stood atop a restaurant roof. The bandit wielded a spyglass of his own. Junior gasped.

"What is it?" Ludwig said.

"Bluecoats," Junior licked his lips, "I think they're scouting the city for us."

"She's coming on to our scent," Ludwig's evil eye ached. Tack was right.

"Alright, alright," Junior inched the observatory door open, "guys, come on."

Vine stepped out first. He crouched low. A rag was wrapped around his mouth. Minerva slipped past him into cover. Her back bumped the crumbling garden wall.

"Where're the others?" Junior hissed.

"Daisy's asleep, Luigi's about ready to drop," Vine said.

"And Mario's watching their backs while Tack looms about," Minerva said.

"What about Cheatsy?" Junior grunted. "He's been awfully quiet."

"He's doing what he does best," Ludwig said.

"And that is?"

Ludwig said nothing, he climbed to his feet and peered over the top of the wall.

"What're we dealing with here?" Vine's eyes followed

the Behemoth.

"There's Bluecoats on the rooftops, and I imagine there are patrols in the streets," Ludwig said, "here's the plan." Ludwig drew a long breath.

Minerva and Vine turned towards him. Junior watched the horizon for trouble. Ludwig exhaled slow.

"I'm going to need you guys to draw away the Bluecoats while I confront the Behemoth." Ludwig raised the lens.

"Okay, so two of us will head into town and stir up trouble," Junior nodded, "and one of us will follow Ludwig."

"So, uh, do we draw straws, or..." Vine cranked his wrist.

Minerva rolled her eyes, "I'll guard Ludwig," she saluted Vine, "Lieutenant, keep your head on your shoulders."

Vine returned the salute. He motioned for Junior to follow him into the city.

"Alright captain," Ludwig said, "let's go slay us a monster."

X-X-X

Vine twirled his rapier while his fingers trembled. He stood at the end of a winding street. A collapsed building facade spilled onto the cobblestone road. A warped clothing rack lay overturned on the ground.

Junior walked beside Vine. He held a razor club in his left hand. His nostrils twitched.

"I don't like this, I don't like this one bit," Junior mumbled.

"Love the enthusiasm," Vine kicked the clothing rack, "hey, have I mentioned how much I hate blue today!"

Vine whooped and hollered. "Come on, I've been itching for another fight," he kicked the rack again, "you guys afraid of little old me?"

"Vine," Junior watched the rooftops. His heart crawled into his throat. Smoke poofed above the restaurant. Beneath the wailing winds, Junior heard a piercing screech.

Junior scooped up Vine and dove into the collapsed clothing store.

A black rocket soared through the air and erupted not thirty paces from the store. Junior's ears rang. His spine seized. Debris rained on their backs. The remaining support within half of the structure quit.

Junior dragged Vine to safety as the nearest wall crumbled. He put his back against the wooden checkout counter and wheezed.

Vine spat a mouthful of sand onto the ground.

A spiked ball punched into the desk. Splinters exploded outward. Slingwielders stood in the mouth of the carnage. They climbed atop pieces of rubble.

Vine and Junior threw themselves over the counter.

"Well, we have their attention now," Junior snapped.

"I thought these savages just had sticks and clubs, where'd they get," Vine sputtered and gasped, "rocket launchers?"

A bluecoat somersaulted around the counter, saber in hand. The crescent blade sparkled a faint blue. The jeweled hilt glimmered. The bluecoat swung for Vine's neck.

Vine parried the blade. His rapier clanged. The flexible sword wobbled. His wrist ached.

Junior grabbed a cash register and smashed the sabercoat's head.

The sabercoat dropped to his knees.

Junior kicked him on the floor and caved his head in with the register.

"Thanks," Vine grunted.

Junior lifted the crescent blade. His forearm flexed. Embedded in the center of the hilt was a 'C' shaped sigil.

"Crooked-stick," Junior whispered, he cracked a smile.

"What?"

"Watch this," Junior peered over the counter.

The slingwielders launched their projectiles. The spiked balls slammed the wall behind Junior. The koopaling stood to his full height.

Junior reared the blade back. The blue gem in the hilt glowed. The atmosphere around Junior's hand shifted. The sand in the air fluttered around Junior's wrists.

Junior hurled the sword. A blast of wind carried the blade. It whirled like a vortex. The blue crescent blade lopped off a slingwielder's head. A geyser of ash spilled from the wound, and the bandit slumped to the ground.

The blade doubled back on its path. It slashed another Bluecoat's hip. The bandit staggered forward and propped himself against a piece of rubble. The edge spun toward Junior's head.

"Kid, kid," Vine panicked, "get down!"

Junior held out his hand. The blade slowed its spin. Junior caught the hilt. He squeezed the handle.

Vine looked up and down Junior, "okay that's kinda cool."

Junior and Vine turned and faced the incoming Bluecoats.

X-X

Ludwig flinched. He turned on his heels and faced the distant explosion. Bluecoats swarmed the streets like hornets.

"They're fine," Minerva prodded Ludwig along, "the lieutenant has this under control."

"You're certain?"

"I'd trust him with my life, your brother is safe," Minerva jogged ahead of Ludwig.

The Dry Behemoth stomped around the gardens. Its million eyes flickered. Dry Bones hobbled around its feet. They crawled up its body and were absorbed into its massive torso.

Ludwig raised the cluster-shard. The Behemoth's energy signature was a solar flare. He winced as his eyes took on the light.

"Once I siphon this thing," Ludwig lowered the cluster-shard, "Samia's going to know exactly where we are. I doubt she'll let us get far."

Minerva twirled her curved sword, "then build your weapon and let her come."

Ludwig nodded. Every step closer to the Behemoth filled his feet with lead. His evil eye pulsed. Ludwig choked back his bile.

Between the starved weeds and sand-choked brambles, they saw a white marble structure. Columns reached for the heavens. Knots of vines and flowers swirled down their length. The greenery shook Ludwig.

"The hanging gardens," Minerva mumbled.

"Looks like it's in better shape than most places around here," Ludwig said, "I bet I can get a real clean shot of the Behemoth from up there..." he climbed up the cracked and craggy steps. A loose chunk of stone crumbled beneath his weight. He gasped and caught himself. The cluster shard slipped from his hands.

"Dammit," Ludwig wheezed.

Minerva dove forward and caught it, her back smacked the staircase. Her sword clattered from her reach. She groaned, "watch your step, idiot."

Ludwig's shoulders relaxed. He lifted Minerva back to her feet. He shuffled backward, picked up her curved sword, and held it by the blade.

"Before I forget," Ludwig said as held the sword toward her by the hilt, "for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Minerva took the sword.

Ludwig retrieved the cluster-shard from Minerva.

"For all of this, had I known what Bowser or Roy was going to do," Ludwig frowned, "well, who am I kidding? I would've gone along with his plan anyway."

Minerva put a hand on her hip.

"But, I, uh," Ludwig clenched his eyes shut, "Stars."

"Save your dithering for after we've beaten The Blue Maiden," Minerva put her back to Ludwig.

Ludwig rubbed the back of his head. He bit the inside of his cheek and better rehearsed his thoughts, "just know that, whatever it takes, the Koopa Clan is going to be righting some wrongs. You have my word."

"We'll see how much your word is worth," Minerva said, she didn't face him.

"Fair enough," Ludwig said. He trotted behind her.

Minerva stopped at the second tier of the Hanging Garden. Ludwig waited with her on the stair landing. His head cocked.

"What?"

A throwing ax arced through the air. Minerva twisted and sliced the wooden handle. The ax's pieces curved around Ludwig's head.

Ludwig yelped.

A stocky Bluecoat emerged from the lush vines and ferns. He wielded a Hammer Tribe Sledge modified into a great ax. He stood with a full posture.

Minerva held her blade forward. She squeezed the hilt with both hands. Minerva put her dominant foot ahead and stretched her stance.

Ludwig cradled the cluster-shard, he watched the gardens for more Bluecoats.

"Get to the roof," Minerva snapped. Ludwig nodded and scrambled up the next flight of steps.

Minerva's breathing was cold and steady.

The sledgecoat choked up on the ax's grip. His frowning mask cocked sideways.

Minerva lashed out first - the curved blade whistled through the air.

The Sledgecoat parried the blade with flat of his ax and socked Minerva's face.

Blood and spit flew from Minerva's mouth as she staggered back.

The Sledgecoat hewed overhead. The short-grip stance carried the ax at lightning speed.

Minerva danced back, her forefoot glided across the marble flooring.

The ax whooshed past her side.

Minerva slipped and fell on her back. Her hips slapped against the ground. Her sword clanged.

The sledgecoat charged her.

Minerva skittered forward crabwise and kicked the sledgecoat between the legs.

The sledgecoat groaned and dropped to his knees.

Minerva jumped to her feet and carried her blade up in a rising arc.

A thick gash opened the sledgecoat's chest, and the sword knocked his mask free.

The sledgecoat's beaky Koopa Troop face stared out with hollow black eyes. He roared. Spit flecked outward.

Minerva twisted the blade and brought it down with a hammer grip.

The Sledgecoat punched Minerva's chest with the ax blade.

Blood darkened Minerva's chest and spread around her shirt. Minerva forced her stance steady. Her chest heaved.

The sledgecoat grabbed his ax with both hands and swung sidewise.

Minerva lunged forward and crouched below the strike. The ax screamed over her head. She countered the sledgecoat with a thrust.

The curved sword punched through the sledgecoat's gut and out the other end. The sledgecoat gasped. Sand and blood spilled from his mouth. He fumbled with his ax.

Minerva grabbed the ax's handle and twisted it free from the sledgecoat's grip. Minerva swung the ax overhead and slammed it in the sledgecoat's forehead.

The sledgecoat slumped to the ground. His jaw slacked open. Minerva yanked her sword free.

The sledgecoat's body turned to ash as the wind carried it away.

Minerva dropped on her knees. Her breathing was shaky. She reached under her shirt and winced. That was going to scar. She forced herself to stand and climbed up the steps.

X-X

Ludwig stood at the roof's drop-off. The distance below him set his brain pounding. His eyes nearly jumped from their sockets.

"Easy, now," Ludwig steadied his breathing,

"concentrate."

Ludwig held the cluster-shard forward. He lined the lens up with the Behemoth's massive energy signature. Sweat pearled on his forehead. The roaring winds whipped his hair in his eyes.

An orange beam poured from the cluster-shard. Ludwig's chest burned. The beam blasted across the garden.

The Dry Behemoth lurched. The beam struck its core. Its cavalcade of interlocked legs trembled. The Behemoth turned toward Ludwig. Dry Bones emerged from the sands and threw themselves towards the hanging gardens.

Ludwig held his breath. Orange spheres of light emerged from the Behemoth's body. They spiraled towards the cluster-shard. Ludwig nearly flew back off his feet.

A tide of memories and voices swarmed Ludwig's Being. Echoing screams. Battle cries. Stark visions of cataclysm. The black sands spilling into the center of the city. Skeletal hands pulling loved-ones deep into the earth.

A white light stretching forward over the land.

"Who are you?" The voices all spoke at once in every emotion. Anger, glee, sadness, fear. Ludwig quaked.

Ludwig could scarcely choke, let alone speak.

"A vessel?" One voice spoke.

"A vessel!" Another confirmed.

"Yes, a vessel."

"A new vessel."

"Let me go, let me go, let me go..." A voice sobbed and wailed between the dominant ones.

Ludwig grit his teeth. His stomach writhed. He squeezed tight to the cluster-shard. Blood trickled down his palms. Ludwig cried fire from his evil eye.

"Something's here," a voice spoke.

"Him? It's him."

"It's not him."

"No. It feels like Her."

"Her! Dammit. Not Her."

Her? Ludwig's evil eye seared. The voices dimmed. The sky darkened around him. Then all was still.

A voice spoke. It sounded like himself, and yet, there was something layered below. A woman's voice? It whispered his name, again and again.

"Remember?" she said.

Ludwig blinked. He was back at the battle of Stonekeeper. Kooky stood before him. The doppelganger's eyes filled with wet rage. Kooky clawed Ludwig's eye. Ludwig's all-devouring Ember reached out and snatched something from Kooky.

Hot tears flooded Ludwig's cheeks. A chunk of something was left in his eye. Ludwig dug at his face, desperate to pull it out. It was burrowing into his skull.

Ludwig blinked again. The world was a swirling mess of colors and flaming energy. He closed his right eye and gazed out through his Evil Eye. He saw Kooky as a glowing mass of energy.

He heard a sound calling him, a soft voice. "Devour." It whispered.

Ludwig's arms were not his. He reached out and jammed his claws in Kooky's leg. His Ember reached into Kooky's leg and tore more Kooky's Being into himself. The pain in his evil eye receded.

"I'm here," she spoke again, "it's alright, I'm here."

Ludwig gagged and fought to scream. He blinked.

Ludwig was in the Maelstrom again. He squeezed the captain's chair. His jaw stretched open. He saw the monitors. Iggy fought to restore the engine. Lightning flashed.

"Brothers?" She said. "Why? What do you need them for? Sister. Brothers. Why?"

White light engulfed Ludwig. This time, though, he remained conscious. The light blasted through him. Bits of color washed off Ludwig and fluttered around him like a cloud. The cloud trembled until it reforged into his misshapen likeness. The light carried Kooky's comatose body away.

In the distance, he saw Peach. A silhouette of a silhouette walked over the Queen. She tenderly caressed Peach's cheek.

"Such scorn," the silhouette said, her voice sounded distant and in Ludwig's head all at once.

Peach's likeness filled the silhouette. Amanita was born.

"Weak host. Such a weak host. I chose such a weak host." Her voice filled the air. "Ludwig," her voice echoed, "it was you. Should've been you."

"A king, you should be king," another passionate voice joined.

"Forget kings. Godhood, it can happen, I can make it happen. It can happen."

"Get out of my head," Ludwig clawed at his eye.

"I've always been here, I've been watching you, and through you," she spoke, "I've been asleep for so long."

"What?" Ludwig gagged.

"They tore me apart, they..." the voice screamed, Ludwig screamed, "but now, my whole is here. In Lapiston. My whole is...she's here. And you will make me whole."

"Whole?" A voice whispered.

"Whole..." Another whimpered.

"And Stars. You can be more than Stars."

"More than..." Ludwig mumbled. He shook his head. He forced the fire inside his Being to arms. The lives surging inside of him bolstered his Ember.

"Quiet!" Ludwig roared. The light vanished. He was back in Lapiston, atop the hanging gardens.

Ludwig dropped to his knees. The cluster-shard tumbled from his hands.

"Samia," Ludwig whispered, "the hell," he bit back on his bile. Liquid fire poured down his cheek. He wiped his face on his forearm. The firelight wasn't his natural blue or red.

"Black?" Ludwig wheezed. The black flames slithered from his arm and spattered the ground. Purple arcs of lightning leaped between the tips of his claws. Sharp pains stretched from the buds of his fingertips. His claws extended. His vision sharpened.

An inferno of pain seared his gums. He licked his teeth. His jaw creaked.

Voices whispered in the depths of his Being. In the distance, the Dry Behemoth crumbled beneath the weight of his bones. The wind scattered its disintegrating body.

"I need this out of me," Ludwig crawled on his hands and knees, his voice wasn't his, "need to fix The Eye, need to..."

Footsteps echoed behind Ludwig. A piercing whistle tone cracked the sky. The wind swirled beneath Ludwig. Ludwig rolled on his back.

A Tealcoat emerged from the storming sands. He drew a sword from his scabbard. A golden whistle hung from the bottom of his mask.

Ludwig's body ached. He blinked, and the world was fire. He blinked again, and it was normal.

"Stop!" Minerva shouted over the wind.

"Minerva?" Ludwig sputtered.

Fulcan lowered his sword.

"Fulcan," Minerva limped toward the Tealcoat, "I know it's you in there."

Minerva put herself between Ludwig and Fulcan. Ludwig blinked. His mind refused to settle. Voices, so many voices, Ludwig wheezed.

Fulcan stepped toward, his sword tumbled from his hand.

"I know she's promised you the world, she's promised you revenge," Minerva said, "but look at what it's cost. Look at our home." Minerva pointed at the desolated city.

Fulcan slowly reached out toward Minerva.

"Please come back," Minerva's voice cracked.

Fulcan wrapped his arms around Minerva. The whistle sounded again. The sand swirled around them. They vanished.

A squad of Bluecoats emerged in their place.

Ludwig rolled on his stomach and tried to push to his feet. He yelped and slipped forward. Ludwig's wrists and elbows and shoulders cracked. The fasteners on his armor creaked. The stone sizzled where his hands touched. His thighs and calves seized.

The Bluecoats drew their weapons and soon he was surrounded.


	16. The Empyrius Behemoth

###  **Chapter 16: The Empyrius Behemoth**

Clouds of mist lingered within the Hanging Gardens. Cheatsy squeezed between the vines and ferns. He rested his weight against a sturdy palm tree. Cheatsy bathed in the moisture. His mohawk sagged, and water dribbled down the back of his neck.

Somehow, the Bluecoats kept this oasis alive. Cheatsy wondered where they pumped the water. He ran his hand along the blue pipe that fed the misters.

Slow and ponderous footfalls caught Cheatsy's ear. He peeked between a pair of bright red tropical flowers. Cheatsy slicked his mohawk back to better conceal himself among the foliage.

A large Bluecoat thundered through the Hanging Gardens. He held a war-ax in his right hand. The Bluecoat choked his grip further up the ax's body.

Cheatsy held his breath and squatted low. Where'd he come from? Cheatsy laid on his belly, the earthy odor of soil and fertilizer tickled his nose.

The Bluecoat's stout armored boots clumped pace by pace. The steel toes were an arm and a half's length from Cheatsy's face. The Bluecoat grunted.

Cheatsy covered his mouth. Sweat mingled with the mist. His eyes watered. He could die before he held his breath a second longer. Cheatsy persisted.

Metal clattered on stone.

"Dammit," Ludwig said.

Cheatsy rolled his eyes. Loud and stupid as usual. At least Ludwig finally made it up the steps.

The Bluecoat lumbered toward the noise.

Cheatsy inhaled slowly through his nose, pushed up to his knees, and crawled along the floor. His tail shimmied side to side. He took care not to rustle the taller shrubs.

Where did that Bluecoat come from? Sneaky bastard. Cheatsy peeked over the greenery and looked around the room. Maybe he liked to garden in his spare time. Cheatsy scrunched his forehead.

"Get to the roof!"

That was Minerva. No doubt in response to their newest friend. Cheatsy shuffled toward the confrontation. He wished he brought popcorn for the show.

Cheatsy found Minerva and the Bluecoat locked in combat. They moved quickly from stance to stance while Ludwig trundled up the stairs.

Minerva and the Bluecoat closed the distance between them. Blade and ax-head clashed. Minerva took a fist to the face, and she tumbled backward.

Cheatsy looked between Minerva and Ludwig.

If Roy had trouble with the captain, then Minerva's current loser of an opponent was outmatched. Ludwig, on the other hand, was a huge target. Cheatsy crawled up the stairs and saw Ludwig standing on the edge of the roof.

A chill ran up Cheatsy's tail. His heart raced. The atmosphere shifted. An orange beam cut across the gardens and blasted the Dry Behemoth.

A beacon of white light, intense as the sun, emerged from Ludwig. Cheatsy's jaw slacked open. He shielded his face from the brightness and threw himself behind a row of unused urn planters.

Light. Cheatsy remembered light like this. He saw it in memory - a memory that wasn't his. First, he was Larry. Confused, pitiful, Larry. Then the light appeared.

Amanita emerged from it, and him alongside her.

Cheatsy clutched at his chest. This new light emanated destruction. It reached inside him and tugged at his insides. Cheatsy's stomach turned somersaults. Cheatsy's eyes rolled back into his head.

X-X

Cheatsy's fingers twitched. He forced his eyes to open again. A stabbing pain crawled within his sinuses. Cheatsy croaked for breath that wouldn't come.

Cheatsy whimpered. He didn't want to go out like this. His insides were pulling apart. Cheatsy imagined his imperfect body returning to ash and dust. Like every other clone.

No. He wasn't every other clone. Cheatsy clenched his teeth. He pushed off the ground, his palm slipped, and he struck his chin on the stone rooftop.

"Come on, ya dumb bastard," Cheatsy dug his knuckles into the ground, "move."

Cheatsy pushed off the ground and bent over, heaving. Hot sweat streamed down his forehead. He rubbed his temples until he caught sight of his hand.

The color flushed from his fingertips. Cheatsy gulped and waited until the color returned. His spine tingled. Cheatsy limped around the urn planters.

A squad of Bluecoats surrounded Ludwig. Their weapons were drawn. A spear-wielder inched closer. His crude rebar spear quivered.

Cheatsy wiped his mouth, "crud," Cheatsy crouched behind a planter.

Think, think, Cheatsy knuckled his forehead. Ludwig counted on him to save the day. This was his moment. His time to shine.

"Maybe..." Cheatsy stared at his claws and twiddled them, he imagined hurling arcs of lightning from his palms. He exhaled softly. "No, not even Larry'd be dumb enough to resort to that."

The spear-wielder flew through the air and smashed into the urn planter nearest Cheatsy. The pottery scattered into bladed pieces. A wave of sand spilled onto the roof. The spear-wielder twitched. Three gashes unfolded on the bandit's chest.

Blood dribbled down the spear-wielder's wounds and turned to ash as it touched the open air.

Cheatsy scooted backward from the mess and peeked through a line of intact planters.

Ludwig stood up now. He hunched forward while his armor pulled tight on his chest. Molten liquid spilled from his eye-socket. It bubbled on the ground. The roofing cracked. Ludwig's evil eye glowed deep red beneath the boiling tar-like stream.

Cheatsy gulped and ducked lower to the ground.

The Bluecoats shuffled back and forth. A club-bearer turned towards another one of his spear-wielding compatriots. The club-bearer shoved the spear-wielder forward.

Purple flames trickled down Ludwig's claws. He grabbed the spear-wielder's head. His biceps flexed.

Flames erupted from within the spear-wielder. His body went limp.

Ludwig dropped the lump of burning cloth and turned toward the next bluecoat.

The club-bearer turned and ran; his mask muffled his screams.

Ludwig lurched. He stomped forward on shaking feet. He halted and gagged. Ludwig pawed at his throat. Wet tears trailed down his decent eye. The droplets sizzled when they hit the ground. The fasteners on his shell armor snapped, and the armor tumbled off his back. Ludwig gasped for air.

"Great," Cheatsy ducked again, "we've got another big dumb monster to worry about."

Ludwig's feral gaze followed the fleeing Bluecoat's trail. His evil eye glowed brighter, and he thundered after the escapee. Ludwig's tail thumped against the ground. White lumps formed near the point of his tail. Tar-like liquid oozed from the buds, and thagomizer spikes shot out.

Cheatsy grimaced and waited for Ludwig to descend the stairs; the tar trail bubbled behind him.

X-X

Vine skewered a Bluecoat up to the hilt of his rapier and kicked the bandit off. A thick bruise purpled his cheek. Blood trickled down Vine's lip.

Junior stood at Vine's back. He slashed nearby bandits with his crescent blade.

Vine scrubbed the sweat from his brow, "so what's the-" Vine dodged an incoming club and stabbed its owner in the throat, "what's the, gah-" a spiked ball spun past Vine's head, Vine kicked a mannequin's head at the sling-wielder.

Junior hurled the crescent blade at the sling-wielder and sliced him in half at the middle.

Vine stomped a nearby Bluecoat's knee inward, scooped a club from the ground, and smashed the Bluecoat's head as he keeled forward from his injury.

Another Bluecoat tackled Vine off his feet and onto the ground. The Bluecoat raised his club. Vine grabbed a jagged wooden plank from the nearby wreckage and stabbed the Bluecoat's throat.

Vine twisted and rolled on top of his assailant. He pushed the splintery board deeper. Thick drops of sweat streamed down his hair. His hat lay in a matted pile on the floor.

Vine stabbed the Bluecoat until he was ash and tattered cloth. Vine huffed a deep breath.

"Vine!" Junior shouted.

Vine rolled under a rear side haymaker and punched the ambusher's gut. He kicked the Bluecoat to the ground, lifted the cash register from the counter, and dropped it on the Bluecoat's head.

"I'm trying to-" Vine stumbled and wiped his face on his sleeve, "talk here." His chest heaved.

Junior looked at Vine, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"What?" Vine sniffed, scooped his hat on the floor, and flopped it on his head.

"You're so little, but so," Junior gestured limply, "angry."

"Still wonder how I made lieutenant?"

Junior shook his head vigorously.

"So," Vine dusted his hands, in the corner of his eye he saw the next wave of Bluecoats emerging from the sandy streets, "what's the next step in this glorious plan?"

"We keep those Bluecoats away from the observatory for as long as possible," Junior rolled his shoulder, "if they see Ludwig make it back -"

A thunderous roar shook Junior. The incoming wave of Bluecoats halted. A single Bluecoat sprinted through the streets. He tripped over the dented clothing rack, scrambled to his feet, and continued running.

"Oh boy," Vine whispered.

Flames punched through a row of Bluecoats. The three of them caught fire, and the wind hurried their remains down the street.

The wave of Bluecoats twisted to meet their opponent. A torrent of bubbling black ooze blasted the squad back. Flames rose from the liquid and tinted the darkened streets a faint purple.

Vine crouched. He slowed his breathing and mouthed the passing seconds as he tried to calm himself. The Bluecoats in the shop forgot their present worries and mobilized on the new threat.

Junior crawled past Vine and leaned outside of the store.

"Kid!" Vine grunted and reached for Junior's arm.

Junior squinted. A colossal shadow lumbered through the sandstorm. Its eyes glowed a deep red. A ball of bubbling black slammed a pair of Bluecoats, and they immediately drowned in flames.

Vine yanked Junior back, "you're gonna get yourself killed."

"It's not one of theirs," Junior said.

"Doesn't mean its one of ours," Vine sheathed his rapier. He hustled toward the back of the clothing store. A crumbling wooden door fed into the back alley behind the strip stores.

Vine pushed through the door.

Junior glanced over his shoulder.

"What are you waiting for?" Vine hissed.

The creature roared again. Junior's hairs stood on end. A soft gasp parted his lips. Junior stumbled over a pile of crumbled bricks and followed Vine into the alley.

A rocket whistled through the air and exploded. The creature yowled. It growled in a deep rumbling tongue. Vine looked up and saw a ball of black soar overhead toward the restaurant.

Vine hopped over an overturned dumpster and moved through the alleyway. Junior fumbled after him. A Bluecoat pushed through a door into the back alley. The metal door slammed open into Vine and knocked the Toad knight onto his back.

A pair of Bluecoats fled down the alley.

Junior tucked his hands under Vine's armpits and hoisted him to his feet. He peeked inside the doorway and saw collapsed set of bowling-pinsetters. Junior held his breath. He saw movement through the wrecked machinery.

The dark beast sniffed. Its footsteps shook the room. Glass shattered. The creature stopped moving.

A Bluecoat tumbled from his hiding place and dashed for the exit.

The beast charged the Bluecoat, its roar paralyzed Junior.

Vine tugged Junior away from the door.

The Bluecoat tripped, his upper half flopped through the doorway, and his mask tumbled out of reach. A gaunt Toad's face revealed itself to the world. The Bluecoat scrambled to his feet, but it was too late.

The beast tackled the Bluecoat into the alley wall and jammed its massive claws into the Bluecoat's stomach.

"Move!" Vine slapped Junior's face and pulled him further ahead.

Vine sprinted after straggling Bluecoats that escaped down the narrow alley.

The air pressure in the alley changed. The hairs Junior's on neck stood on end. Junior wrapped his arms around Vine and dove into a dumpster.

A thick purple pillar of flames blasted over the lips of the dumpster. Bluecoats cried out as they were engulfed by the inferno. Junior shifted his weight. Vine hissed curses beneath his breath.

Toom. Toom. Toom! The creature drew closer. Junior couldn't bring himself to escape.

"Wait!" Cheatsy screamed.

The footsteps stopped.

Junior exhaled slow.

"Stars, you move fast for a," Cheatsy huffed, "for a big guy."

Junior peeked over the lip of the dumpster.

The beast of flame and shadow loomed over Cheatsy's slim figure. It snorted. Its red eyes flashed.

"Don't do anything you might regret," Cheatsy stepped closer. He held the remains of a Bluecoat's uniform with both of his arms. It practically drowned Cheatsy in fabric.

The creature growled.

"Quit the attitude," Cheatsy said, "look at you. Throwing a tantrum cuz you did something stupid."

Vine rolled his eyes and groaned, "don't tell me."

"La-rry?" The creature said in a clumsy two-tone lilt. Its deep voice rattled Junior's dumpster.

"No, ya lummox," Cheatsy waddled forward, nearly tripping over the length of fabric in his arms, "but you're close."

"Cheats..." Ludwig blinked a few times. "Cheatsy."

"So you are still in there," Cheatsy sighed, a relieved smirk on his lips, "I should take this luck to the lottery."

Vine shoved off Junior and climbed out of the dumpster. He slammed on his back. A hissing moan parted his lips. "That was higher up than I thought."

Junior's trembling head peered over the lip of the dumpster.

"It's alright, I think he's stable," Cheatsy said.

Junior craned his neck to look up at Ludwig.

Ludwig's heart-shaped muzzle peeked from his wild mane. His dagger-like tusk stretched down to his chin. The redness faded from his good eye, and the familiar blue tincture in his irises returned. The black tar stopped leaking from his evil eye.

Junior gulped.

Cheatsy threw the pile of cloth at Ludwig's feet, "would you cover yourself? I'm dying of second-hand embarrassment here."

Ludwig's brow furrowed, and he scooped the wad of blue fabric from the ground. Ludwig cocked his head. He held the coat to his chest. The jacket itself was a tight fit for Ludwig's regular stature, let alone his current form.

"Wrap it around your waist or something," Cheatsy pinched the bridge of his muzzle and sighed.

Ludwig's cheeks burned red. He clumsily folded the coat over his hips. Ludwig's lips tightened. He looked down at Cheatsy. "Sh-" his jaw twitched, he concentrated, "shard?"

"That bit of glass? It's safe back at those gardens. No way was I carrying that thing and that coat at the same time."

"Idiot," Ludwig grunted, he held his makeshift kilt aloft with one hand.

"Look who's talking," Cheatsy prodded Ludwig's over-sized midsection. The thick plated keratin scales clicked against Cheatsy's claw.

"Not very much talking," Vine mumbled, he inched closer towards Ludwig, his hand hovered over his sword.

"Yeah, that's a good point," Cheatsy said, "you fry your brain in all this mess?"

Ludwig's nose scrunched. He put a hand on his hip. He inhaled a steady breath. "C-concentrate," he pointed at his evil eye, "or ra-" Ludwig bit down, his jaw cracked, and he grimaced, "ram-" Ludwig's fist clenched, "rampage."

Cheatsy's shoulders slouched, "oh."

"Real stable," Vine put himself between Ludwig and Junior, "maybe we're better off putting some distance between us. For safety sake."

Ludwig's eyes moistened. His head bowed. "Yes."

"Now hold on here," Cheatsy tapped his foot, "I pulled him out of his tantrum. I'm sure his actual brother could keep him stable."

Junior hid his muzzle. He could scarcely believe this was his brother now.

"The way these two get on?" Vine scoffed.

"Well, fine, maybe I can keep him stable." Cheatsy patted Ludwig's thigh.

Ludwig turned to Cheatsy, "no."

Cheatsy rolled his eyes, "well, you need to keep it together somehow. Who else is gonna fix the Eye?" Cheatsy paced Ludwig.

Ludwig held his claws in front of his face and wiggled them.

"I take it you've got energy and then some," Cheatsy sniffed, "maybe if you burn off all that excess you'll turn back to normal."

Ludwig growled softly. He crossed his arms. His eyes flicked left to right. He tapped his left temple, his evil eye flashed, "Samia."

Cheatsy rubbed his chin, "Samia did this to you?"

Ludwig grunted, "Samia in," Ludwig huffed, "in me." Ludwig's legs tensed. "Cursed."

"The way you chased off those Bluecoats, I'd say it's a bit of a blessing too," Cheatsy giggled.

Ludwig loosed a sad whimper.

"C'mon, stop being so pathetic," Cheatsy climbed up Ludwig's back and sat on his shoulders. He looked like a young child on Ludwig's back. "You're like a tank now."

Ludwig snarled and spun in circles to take Cheatsy off his shoulders.

"Whoa there," Cheatsy held onto Ludwig's mane, "I'm here to provide mouth to ear moral support. That way when you feel like you're slipping, I can pull you back."

Ludwig rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe this is happening," Vine dragged his hands over his eyes.

"Believe it, you're just jealous because I don't have to walk back," Cheatsy stuck his tongue out at Vine.

Ludwig winced, he held his hand over his evil eye and growled. He twisted on his heels and lumbered toward the hanging gardens.

"You don't think he's stuck like that do you?" Junior whispered.

Vine's hands swayed by his hips, he shrugged and followed behind Ludwig.

X-X-X

Kaspar walked low. His tail curled and hovered above the cold stone floor. The path to the Star temple was littered with broken statues. Rosy porcelain chips scattered the brick-laid walkway.

Kaspar stepped between the chips. He stood on the balls of his bare feet. His tail swished as his balance shifted.

Streams of light spilled from the temple's stained glass windows. A kaleidoscope of colors flickered across the plain stone floors. Kaspar crouched below a window. He tilted his ears upward.

Boots thumped on stone. Coats shuffling. Crunching wood - a crowbar pulling a crate apart. Whispered discontents.

Kaspar sniffed the air.

Gunpowder. Sawdust. Sweet tree sap from a Hari Palm. Kaspar scratched his chin. There were certainly none of those this side of the desert.

Kaspar crawled beneath the windows until he reached the rear of the temple.

A pair of Bluecoats stood at the back door. A butane stove crackled and hissed. The nutty scent of butter filled the air. Eggs popped and hissed as they fried.

Kaspar held his breath. They eat? He shook his head. Kaspar peered around the corner.

A larger Bluecoat manned the stove. A sledgehammer lay on its side at his feet. He scooped the eggs off the pan with dainty grace.

A coat fit for Roy, perhaps.

The second Bluecoat on duty sat at a workbench. He affixed razor blades into a knot of wood. He tossed the finished club into a pile of weapons. The sound echoed off the back of the temple and into the caverns above.

Kaspar licked his teeth. He inched behind the weaponsmith, his eyes fixed on the cook. Kaspar held his breath. The sizzling eggs tickled the insides of his ears.

The weaponsmith hammered in another set of razors.

Easy, Kaspar, make not a sound. Kaspar clenched his teeth. He scooted forward on the balls of his feet. Kaspar leaped up, wrapped his arm around the cook's throat, and threw his weight to drag him down.

Kaspar stabbed between the cook's ribs. He fished for vitals and scrambled them. The dagger sunk deep.

The weaponsmith dropped another finished weapon.

Ash poured from the cook's mask and his coat folded over Kaspar. Its sleeve caught a plate of fried egg and knocked it to the floor.

The weaponsmith turned to face the noise - Kaspar slammed him into the workbench. The mouse jammed the dagger into the weaponsmith's throat. The Bluecoat struggled a moment, his limp hands brushed over Kaspar's muzzle. Kaspar pressed harder.

The weaponsmith's coat deflated.

Kaspar wiped his muzzle clean. His ears twitched. He glanced toward the temple's back door. All was still. Kaspar sighed, then he slid his new coat over his head.

X-X

The hinges creaked. A sliver of light peered into the temple's back room. A pile of scrap wood adorned the corner. Broken pews, a trashed podium, signage from the surface. Kaspar sniffed the air.

No signs of life; at least none in the room.

Kaspar sidled into the room and eased the door shut behind him. The coat hung off his gangly frame and dragged on the floor. Patchy bits of fabric chafed where the seams fused old silk and polyester squares.

An overturned crate and unlit lantern guarded the corner on Kaspar's right. A plate of lemon-scented crumbs and the remnants of whipped cream stained on the floor. An unattended sword was strewn across the crate.

Kaspar ran his fingers over the sword's hilt. MK arming sword, he noted, iron hilt with a ruby crystal in the center. The Toadstool family crest adorned the pommel. Standard design - save for one detail.

Runes. Carefully inscribed on the blade. They weren't in any language Kaspar could understand. Not old MK script, nor Hari or Clubba. Moustafa probably knew the origins.

It might fetch a decent price from the right collector.

Kaspar glanced over his shoulder and, with no signs of disturbance, snatched the sword into his coat.

Coats and crate. Coats and crate. "Shelve your greed, foolish mouse," Kaspar muttered.

Granted, Kaspar needed some way to pay for a new Dunecrawler.

Kaspar moved from the back room into a long hallway that spanned from his left to right. A moldy red carpet spanned the length. Kaspar shuffled through the hall. He passed a half-open door.

Bed, desk, bookshelf. Nothing else. Such sparse quarters. No doubt for the former clergy.

Kaspar hugged the sword beneath his coat. The rooftop elevator engaged and set the temple rumbling. Glass windows rattled, old hinges creaked, and Kaspar's bones ached.

Something strange was coming.

Bluecoats ran towards Kaspar. The mouse froze. His eyes widened.

They shuffled past him and turned left at the end of the hall.

Kaspar let loose a low whistle. Disguised. Right.

Kaspar hobbled after the Bluecoats. He wondered why the temple was so empty. Aside from the two guards outside and the few guards inside, he could have smuggled Roy through the front door no problem.

Kaspar tip-toed near the end and peeked.

A rickety scaffold reached toward the domed temple's ceiling. Bluecoats of all shapes and sizes gathered near the base. A Tealcoat navigated the twists and turns of the wooden settings. Minerva followed behind him.

"Minerva?" Kaspar whispered. "What's she doing here?"

"They've found a piece of The Eye," Fulcan said. His voice bellowed off the acoustic ceiling.

A breeze of perturbed whispers filled the room.

"I'm not sure where, I'm not sure how," the Tealocat leaned over the ledge, "but these damned Koopas are full of surprises."

Minerva kept a reasonable distance away from the bandit leader. Her fist swayed by her hip. She bit her bottom lip.

Kaspar's whiskers twitched. Mario's crew found The Eye? Kaspar stifled a wheeze. The mouse followed the edge of the crowd.

"Sir!" The front doors groaned open. A Bluecoat slumped forward on his knees. He adjusted his mask. "Roy's escaped!"

Fulcan stopped talking. He squeezed the railing, his leather gloves creaked. Fulcan turned toward Minerva.

"He's been tearing us apart out there," the Bluecoat stepped forward and threw down a helmet, "the Guardian has fallen."

The bandits in the room murmured and looked up at Fulcan.

"You mean to tell me a disarmed, blind, Koopa beat your people?" Fulcan's voice was still.

"Sir-"

"You know your orders. She wants him alive," Fulcan said, "you don't find him, and it's not my wrath you'll have to contend with."

A wave of silence passed over the Bluecoats.

"What are you waiting for?"

The bandits cleared the room. Kaspar weaved through the crowd. He watched Fulcan and Minerva. He stood beneath the scaffolding. His sensitive ears picked up the conversation.

"Where'd they find it?" Fulcan said.

Minerva crossed her arms.

"Was it in the city?" Fulcan turned toward Minerva.

"Really? You're interrogating me?" Minerva snapped. "How about 'sorry sis, for never reaching out, for running around killing and pillaging and looting people in the desert'"

Fulcan's posture relaxed. He tilted his mask up. A worried frown twisted his cheeks. "Sorry sis, it's just," Fulcan leaned back against the scaffold, "it's been a tough day."

"Don't I know it," Minerva mumbled.

"I've got reports that you arrived here with the Koopas, and that you've been fighting by their side," Fulcan's stare turned distant, "why did you come back?"

Minerva's spine tensed, "I was using them," Minerva rolled her shoulders, "I've been trying to come back here for years. I wanted answers. Closure. But I-" Minerva choked, "I could never bring myself to do it."

Fulcan's stare softened, "the funny thing is, you'd have been welcomed with open arms," Fulcan shrugged, "had it just been you, though."

Minerva tried to steady her eyes, but her face was cracking.

"What's wrong?" Fulcan hummed.

Minerva drew a stuttering breath, "I never thought I'd see you alive again. And now that I have, this -" she held her hand out at the teams of bandits, "this is what you are now? You used to protect Lapiston from people like this."

"I'm still protecting it," Fulcan shouted. He rubbed his temples. "Who do you think these people are?"

Minerva moved, her chest tensed, she winced and hugged her wound.

Fulcan grabbed Minerva's shoulder, "sis? You alright?"

"And there goes the adrenaline," Minerva lifted her palm, blood smeared her fingers.

Fulcan sighed, "alright, let's get you patched up first, then we can argue," he helped her down the scaffolding. The duo walked past Kaspar as he eavesdropped. "You probably got one of my best troops demoted."

"He's alive?"

"No one really 'dies' here anymore," Fulcan mumbled.

"He deserved it," Minerva winced, "his technique was sloppy."

Fulcan rolled his eyes. As he passed Kaspar, he froze. He turned toward the disguised bandit.

Kaspar's toes curled. His tail shifted beneath his coat. He steadied the blade in his hands.

"Troops," Fulcan said.

The bandits around Kaspar stood at attention.

"Gear up and gather a few others, we're going topside as soon as I come back," Fulcan nodded. The bandit leader guided his sister further into the temple.

Kaspar nearly fainted. His knees knocked together. That was too close. The mouse sighed.

Getting to that elevator was going to be impossible. Then again, Fulcan needed a squad. Kaspar looked around at the handful of bandits. Kaspar popped his knuckles and slipped back into the shadows.

X-X

Kaspar searched the stalagmites near the spiral stairs. His nostrils twitched. He sniffed the air - the faint bite of copper, saltine sweat, and Koopa hair.

"Roy?" Kaspar hissed.

Roy stepped from the shadows and pulled Kaspar beneath a low hanging rock into an alcove. Water trickled around Kaspar's toes and flowed into a puddle at the back of the hideaway.

Larry lay in the puddle. His legs curled to his chest. Steam rose from his ribs. Rocky sat beside Larry. Konrad peeked around the alcove's entrance. His neck tensed.

"What happened out there?" Roy grunted.

"Our exploits haven't gone unnoticed," Kaspar slipped from Roy's arms, he mumbled curses in his native tongue, "they've got search parties fanning out to find us."

Roy growled, "of course."

"More ghosts have caught up to you," Kaspar said, "Minerva's brother was there."

"What?" Roy's teeth clenched. "He's alive?"

"Not only alive, but I fear we may have met him once before," Kaspar reached beneath his stolen Bluecoat and dropped a mass of blue cloth onto the ground. "He's dressed in teal garbs."

"The bandit leader we fought in the outskirts," Rocky interjected.

Roy drew a sharp breath.

"On the bright side, it sounds like our surface friends have stumbled onto something," Kaspar stretched his arms upward, "a piece of The Eye."

"That's the bright side?" Roy buried his head in his hands.

"The Bluecoats were disturbed by the news," Kaspar pulled out the stolen sword and inspected it, "so I'd say it's good news for us."

Roy scratched his cheek and paced.

"Not to rush you or anything," Kaspar cleared his throat, "but they're gearing up for another surface excursion."

"And?" Roy said.

"And if we can assemble in time, maybe we can ride to the surface and regroup with the others," Kaspar tucked the sword into his cloak, "we're not getting to that elevator otherwise. It's heavily monitored."

"Right, but one problem, how are we sneaking Larry onto a bandit squad?" Roy shook his head.

"I can walk," Larry grunted.

Rocky, Roy, Kaspar, and Konrad all turned.

Larry rolled onto his knees. His stump twitched. Larry carefully stood on his right leg and swayed to balance. He caught himself on the cave wall.

Rocky chuckled, "you boys are such a tenacious bunch," Rocky shimmied the coat over his shoulders, "you're your father's children, I don't care what they say."

Kaspar handed Roy the baggy sledgecoat, "this ought to cover you up."

Roy pulled the coat over his head, "it's uh," he flexed, and the sleeves bulged, "a little tight."

"It's the biggest one I could find," Kaspar shrugged.

Konrad slid into his own coat and sighed, "clothed at last."

Larry steadied himself on the wall and leaned forward to lift his disguise. He clenched his teeth. His stump swayed in the air as he bent down.

Roy picked up Larry's coat and handed it to the younger koopaling, "easy there, you were half dead a minute ago."

"Only half?" Larry grunted. He slipped his arms inside the coat and tucked his sloppy mohawk into the hood. Larry moved. He slammed the floor chest-first. Larry groaned.

Roy hoisted Larry back to his feet. Roy dusted Larry's shoulders clean and steadied him. "Stick close to me, alright?"

Larry held Roy's forearm and wobbled. "Not like I'm going anywhere else."

"Hurry, hurry," Kaspar ran ahead.

X-X


	17. The Looming Storm

###  **Chapter 17: The Looming Storm**

Cheatsy swung his legs as he rode on Ludwig's shoulders. His head bobbed left and right to the music in his head. He hummed idly aloud.

Ludwig hugged the cluster-shard to his chest. The Star Treasure pulsed. He watched the rooftops for Bluecoats and the ground for Drybones.

Vine limped behind Junior. He hugged his ribs and grimaced. Vine grabbed Junior's shoulder and steadied himself.

"Vine?" Junior gasped.

"I'm alright, keep moving," Vine lifted his hand, "I don't think I've ever been this tired."

"You and me both," Junior lingered back and steadied Vine.

They stared down the valley of fire and chaos that was once the Lapiston Entertainment District. Boiling 'tar' slathered the crumbled buildings. A tattered blue coat fluttered in the wind.

Ludwig hugged the shard tighter. His eyes widened. "I did this?"

"You should've seen 'em run," Cheatsy cackled, "I bet we don't even need the Eye, you could probably take on anything Samia's gonna throw at you."

"Bad idea," Ludwig growled.

Ludwig lumbered toward the observatory. A stabbing pain shot into his evil eye. He squinted. Between the walls, he saw the Embers. A red serpent creature encircled Tack's energy.

"Open up," Cheatsy cupped his palms beside his lips and shouted.

The door creaked open. Luigi peeked out and saw Ludwig. "Oh God," Luigi's face paled. He fell back into the observatory.

"Nope, just us," Cheatsy propped his elbows and Ludwig's head and leaned forward. He smirked. Cheatsy slid down Ludwig's back.

Junior hurried Vine inside the observatory. Ludwig followed behind Cheatsy. He ducked to fit through the doorway.

"What happened to you?" Mario snapped. He looked around. "And where's Minerva?"

"Well, the plan worked," Cheatsy chirped.

Ludwig pawed at his temple. He wheezed. Smoke rose from his nostrils. Ludwig clenched his eyes shut. The smoke dissipated. "Minerva was taken."

"Minerva, you're serious," Mario scoffed.

"What's going on?" Daisy grumbled. She wobbled to her feet and limped into the lobby. Her hair tufted in all directions.

"Hon," Luigi wheezed and pointed at Ludwig.

Ludwig frowned.

"Ludwig?" Daisy stretched her arms above her head, "you do something different with your hair?"

"You look like you're in good enough shape to fix up my weapon," Tack sat at the head of the stairs. He whittled a block of wood with a curved knife.

The room fell silent. Ludwig approached Tack. His nostrils flared.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Tack chuckled. "Don't forget what's at stake here."

"Shut up," Ludwig climbed the spiral staircase. The metal groaned. He grimaced as he reached the top.

Tack followed close behind Ludwig, and Cheatsy scrambled into the shadows to watch the construction unfold.

X-X

Ludwig took a knee beside the shattered lens. He affixed the cluster-shard into place. A soft sigh parted his lips. He dragged his claw along the seams.

"You're fixing it?" A voice mumbled.

"Fixing the Eye?"

"What a fool. It can't be fixed."

Ludwig shook his head. The pieces sealed to one another. His tongue lolled from the side of his mouth. Tack shuffled behind him. The bandit leader held his breath.

"The traitor," Ludwig's inner-voice mumbled. The faint layer of a woman's voice echoed beneath it. "You fear him?"

Ludwig nudged another set of shards together and set to work magically welding the pieces.

"Once a traitor, always a traitor," the main voice spoke, "what was my Whole thinking, crowning him a leader?"

Ludwig's evil eye burned. He wiped the tears from his cheek. Bubbling black liquid dribbled on the ground. He gasped.

"He'll kill my brother," Ludwig whispered.

"Brother?" Another voice scoffed.

"He's not your brother, I can see it here, in your memories, he's not your brother." A giggling voice rambled.

"That wretched brat stole everything from you," the loudest voice spoke, "your throne."

"Your father."

"My mother," the pain in Ludwig's head numbed, he wheezed and bit the inside of his cheek, "it wasn't his fault."

"I can make you whole if you make me whole," the woman's voice spoke louder now, "I can make things the way they're supposed to be."

"Well, what's taking you?" Tack said.

The voices faded. Ludwig blinked a few times.

"Concentrating," Ludwig grumbled. Shard by shard, the Eye was assembled.

The pulsing glass lens stared through the floor. The crosshair glowed a faint orange. Ludwig's tongue clung to the roof of his mouth. Ludwig looked and saw the disassembled telescope parts.

"Tools," Ludwig grunted.

Tack dragged a small toolbox beside Ludwig.

"What's gotten into you? You're far less verbose."

Ludwig said nothing.

"Bite off more than you could chew?" Tack smirked. "I have to admit, I'm surprised you made it back in one piece. Koopas must be made of tough stuff."

"Leave me alone," Ludwig wrapped his arms around the telescope's central tube. He squatted to lift. Pain pulsed in his eye and warmth spread through his veins into his extremities. He nearly fell off his feet standing straight again. It was lighter than he expected.

Ludwig set the telescope's tube beside the completed lens. He fumbled with the tools. His clumsy fingers managed to unscrew the central tube.

"I wager you can't hold it forever," Tack mumbled, he sat on a lawn chair and crossed his legs, "I've seen lesser folk lose all sense of self when getting a bit of a 'recharge.'"

Ludwig looked up from his work.

"Those bones out there? They used to be like me," Tack patted his chest, "death after death, rebirth after rebirth, a little bit of themselves was consumed every time. Until pure madness took their minds."

Ludwig's jaw tightened.

"When your mind goes, it'll be a sight to behold," Tack examined his fingers, his eyes turned distant.

Ludwig remembered the rampage. It was like riding on the shoulders of a demon. Helpless but to watch the unfolding chaos.

"How'd you keep," Ludwig paused and drew a lazy breath, "keep yours?"

"My mind?" Tack crossed his hand behind the back of his head. "I didn't squander the 'lives' I was given, for one."

Ludwig shivered. His thoughts turned back to the Stonekeeper sickbay. They told him he died. Did something bring him back? He reached for his evil eye.

"Enough moping, more construction," Tack snapped his fingers.

Ludwig sighed. He knew Samia was coming. The ruckus Ludwig raised no doubt attracted every Bluecoat in the city. He needed to work quickly.

X-X-X

Roy stood in front of the temple. His neck ached as he craned to look toward the roof. The elevator was still grounded, thankfully.

Larry squeezed Roy's arm tighter.

"You're sure you can pull this off?" Roy looked down at Larry.

Larry nodded slowly.

Roy guided Larry forward step-by-step. Kaspar took the lead, his head swiveled from left to right. Larry's foot slipped.

Rocky caught Larry. The mole's legs buckled as he supported Larry long enough for Roy to stabilize him.

Rocky sighed. "Not sure we can have too many of those."

"Sorry," Larry mumbled.

"Quiet," Kaspar hissed. The others stopped shuffling. "The second we step inside, I will do the talking. No heroics, no surprise supernatural powers, nothing Koopa-like whatsoever."

Larry and Roy nodded quickly.

Konrad stood, stiff as a board, his knee's quaked beneath his cloak.

"Here goes something, I think," Kaspar pushed the door open.

The temple was empty once again, save for a few Bluecoats unloading shipping crates. They walked past an open container with a Darkland's insignia stamped on the side. Rows of black rockets lay on beds of straw. The payloads were painted with snarling faces.

"Bullet Bills?" Roy whispered. Larry shushed him.

A few Bluecoats gathered at the center of the room. They paced around the scaffolding base. One carried a tubular gun, a Bill Blaster, black rockets sat in a satchel that dangled from his waist.

Another Bluecoat held a curved Hari-sword, he gave it a few test swings and stumbled.

"Stop overswinging it, you're leaving yourself wide open for a counter-attack," Minerva grumbled. She sat on a level above the Bluecoats. "Have you ever used a sword before?"

The Bluecoat with the sword lowered the weapon.

Roy looked up at Minerva. His stomach twisted. What was she doing here? A part of him was almost glad to see her.

Minerva noticed Roy staring. She hugged her ribs and stood. "More help?"

"Er, yes!" Kaspar said.

Minerva froze at the sound of his voice.

Roy crossed his fingers. Please don't be a traitor, please don't be a traitor, please don't be a traitor. His lips curled.

"Can you fight?" Minerva said.

Roy flexed his fingers.

"Well?"

Roy bobbed his head dumbly.

Minerva took the curved sword and pointed it at Roy. "Then prove it."

Roy's shoulders sagged. She's a traitor. Roy cracked his neck, he stepped forward, trying his best not to limp.

"Wait, wait, is this really necessary?" Kaspar raised his hands.

"If you can prove yourself useful, then you're coming to the surface," Minerva rested the sword on the length of her shoulders, "and these amateurs can play hide-and-seek with the underground escapees."

Kaspar sighed, he elbowed Roy and held a sword from beneath his cloak, "please keep it in decent condition."

Roy took Kaspar's blade. An MK sword? It felt like a dagger in his palm. The gleaming gem in the center of the hilt caught his eye.

A Magicrystal?

No Koopa stuff. Maintain cover. Roy sighed. He rolled his shoulders. Swordplay wasn't exactly his style, but Roy knew the basics. He assumed a low guard and angled himself back. Roy rotated the blade into a reverse grip.

Minerva swung high into Roy's guard.

Roy hooked her blade and shoved it aside, he threw a right cross.

Minerva ducked the punch and socked Roy's stomach with an open palm. The blow ached, but the pain faded quickly.

Minerva twisted back and attempted a spinning attack.

Roy kicked Minerva's leg from beneath her and pressed the blade to the back of Minerva's neck.

Sweat slicked down his fingers. His breathing quickened. Right here, right now. He could end it.

"Congrats," Minerva coughed, "you're on the squad. Now let me up."

The other Bluecoats watched, awestruck. The previous wannabe sword wrangler clapped his hands.

Roy grunted. He lifted the blade off of Minerva's neck and helped her stand.

"Can the rest of your regiment fight like that?" Minerva put a hand on her hip and gestured to the other disguised Bluecoats.

Roy nodded.

"I'll take your word for it, brave warrior," Minerva bowed, "you three are dismissed."

"But the boss-"

"I'm his sister, I'd know what sort of soldiers he wants in his ranks."

The other Bluecoats looked at one another. They shrugged and left the scaffolding. Minerva stopped the one with a Bill Blaster.

"Ah, I'll take that," Minerva took the weapon from him, "we need that more than you. Now off you go."

Roy stood dumbfounded as the Bluecoats went about their business.

Minerva held her hand out toward Roy to shake it, "welcome to the team."

Roy reached to grab her hand, Minerva yanked his head level to hers.

"For once I'm glad to see you."

Roy's jaw slacked, "uh."

"Shut up, I don't have a lot of time to explain, come with me," Minerva released her grip and walked behind the scaffolding out of earshot.

Roy looked over his shoulder.

"The others can wait here, come with me now," Minerva growled.

Roy nodded and followed.

X-X

Roy followed Minerva into a monk's room. The bare walls and spartan bedding made Roy feel smaller than he thought possible. Minerva shut the door.

Roy twirled the sword, "well, looks like I finally beat you."

"I was letting you win, you idiot," Minerva said. "I can hardly stand myself for allowing such sloppy footwork, and a spin? Stars kill me now."

Roy's smirk faded, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, alright. Before I lose my chance, I wanted to say something."

Minerva quirked her brow.

"I'm sorry," Roy lifted his mask. The dim light stung his eyes. "For your brother and father, for your home, for all of this."

Minerva scoffed. The fire in her stature had dampened. She let her shoulders sag as she sat on the bed. Her eyes were wet.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop Tack from opening The Eye," Roy sniffed.

Minerva looked up at Roy.

"You were gonna die. I had to do something. I had to break the Eye." Roy's face cracked. He looked years younger. A child way in over his head.

"You what?" Minerva squinted.

"I wasn't strong enough to save your family, I was barely strong enough to save you," Roy's chest spasmed, his eyes were alight with guilt, "and instead of facing it like a Koopa, I let Kamek take my memories. It was easier that way."

Minerva clenched her fists.

"I was a coward. A dirty, weak -"

"Child," Minerva sighed, "you were a child."

Roy's throat clenched and his jaw hung open a moment.

"We were both kids trying to make adult decisions," Minerva bit her bottom lip, "I thought showing your people The Eye would save my family."

Roy drew a stuttering breath.

"We both made mistakes in the past, but, right now we can't dwell on it," Minerva sighed, "Roy, I need your help."

Roy nodded. His mask shuffled around on his face. He nudged it back into place.

"We found a way to imprison The Blue Maiden again, Ludwig's reassembling The Eye -"

"What." Roy gasped.

Minerva snapped her fingers, "focus."

Roy cleared his throat and folded his arms.

"Right now, everything hinges on Ludwig's work," Minerva said, "when we go topside, you need to find him and help him."

Roy grunted softly, "alright."

"Last I saw him, we were at Blue Maiden's park on the Hanging Gardens rooftop," Minerva said it slowly, "if he's not there, make your way to the observatory."

"Minerva -"

"When you get the observatory, be careful," Minerva grabbed his arm, "Tack's there."

Roy clenched his teeth.

"Tow the line, make him believe you're willing to help him."

"I'm not doing a damn thing for that two-faced son of a bitch."

"Roy, you have to trust me," Minerva whispered harshly, "he'll be dealt with soon enough."

"How?"

"I'm telling Fulcan about Tack's betrayal," Minerva said, "there's going to be a war in the streets. With any luck, Zta Samia's getting involved."

"Samia? Betrayal? I -"

"Shut up," Minerva squeezed Roy's hand, "when you find Ludwig, tell him to hurry. He might only have one shot, and he has to be ready to take it."

A fog of confusion rested over Roy's eyes.

"Ludwig will explain the rest to you," Minerva released Roy's hand, "you know what to do?"

Roy sighed, his shoulders sloped backward, "yeah, find Ludwig, get The Eye rebuilt." Roy rubbed his temples. "But Larry and his leg..."

"Carry him if you have to," Minerva made her way to the door, "and Roy?"

Roy gulped.

"Stay safe."

Roy watched Minerva leave. He stepped behind her. It almost felt like she meant it.

X-X

Larry stood between Rocky and Konrad. His stump leg wavered. He gulped and let his weight shift to one side. Konrad buckled, so he moved his weight again until Rocky began to buckle.

"What's taking them so long?" Konrad whispered.

Larry was too busy fighting for balance to answer. Heavy boots clomped on wood. Larry glanced up. Though the mask's eye-holes muddied his peripherals, he could see Fulcan's lower body descend the scaffolding.

"Cripes, this is it, boys," Rocky said, "act natural."

Larry held his breath and steadied his weight on his leg. A deep ache permeated his bones. He felt a ragged pins-and-needles sensation in his missing foot. He heard about this from some of the older guards. Phantom pains, they called it.

Larry wheezed. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Is this it?" Fulcan said. He put a hand on his hip. "Where's Minerva?"

"She was sorting something out with another soldier," Kaspar spoke up, his hands tucked behind his back.

Larry saw the mouse's tail fidget around beneath the length of his cloak.

"Fulcan?" Minerva's voice echoed off the domed ceiling.

Right on cue. Larry sputtered a sigh. He saw Roy walk behind her. The disguised koopaling tried to stand tall, but Larry saw the faintest falter in Roy's gait.

How many fights did Roy really have left in him? Larry dreaded the answer.

"Stars, if you're out there," Larry whispered, "we need a miracle."

"There you are," Fulcan tilted his mask up, "what's this I hear about you dismissing my soldiers?"

"Soldiers," Minerva scoffed, "that's what you call the posse you drummed up?"

"And these are any better?"

"Tested them myself," Minerva patted the curved blade on her belt, "the big guy here managed a solid takedown on me."

Larry couldn't make out Fulcan's face, but he swore there was a bewildered smile.

Fulcan tapped his foot, "seriously?"

"I saw it myself," Kaspar nodded vigorously.

Fulcan leaned forward, he mumbled something under his breath, the spoke aloud, " where'd you get that sword?"

Kaspar cursed softly.

"Well, uh," Roy said in a gravelly attempt at a disguised voice.

Larry ached the second Roy hesitated. He wanted to slap someone. Roy never was known for his sharp tongue.

"I gave it to him," Minerva crossed her arms, "is there something wrong?"

Fulcan stormed down the scaffolding. "Something wrong? Minerva, who do you think you are?"

Minerva's face remained stoic.

"You show up working with Koopas, you slaughter my soldiers upon arrival, then you dare to order them around like you own them, and you loan my things to people without a second thought." Fulcan clenched his fists and drew a slow breath. "Sis, my patience is thinning."

Minerva took the sword from Roy's hand. The koopaling yelped. "This sword isn't yours, Fulcan," Minerva held the blade in the light, the Magicrystal gem in its hilt glimmered.

Fulcan grimaced.

"It was made special for somebody, there's even a name inscribed," Minerva squinted at the runes along the blade, "you want to play bandits in the sand? Get used to people taking 'your' things," Minerva shoved the sword back into Roy's hand.

Fulcan sputtered, "but, even among thieves, there's honor."

"That so?" Minerva climbed up the scaffolding to meet her brother. "Here's something for you to chew on," Minerva raised her voice, "the Koopas found that piece of the Eye because Captain Tack brought them to it."

Fulcan squeezed the railing, "Tack?"

"They're rebuilding the Eye, even as we speak," Minerva said.

Larry squeezed Rocky's shoulder. They were doing what? Larry chided Ludwig a million times over in his head. Of course, his eldest brother dove head first into something he barely understood.

Larry's stump tingled out of his hypocrisy.

"That snake," Fulcan kicked the railing, he stomped down the scaffolding.

"Where are you going?" Minerva said.

"I'm getting help," Fulcan put the golden whistle to his lips. A piercing tone rattled the windows.

The air twisted and sand swirled from out of nowhere. Larry held his mask firm as Fulcan disappeared in a blast of sand. Larry steadied himself on Rocky's head.

"That worked a little too well," Minerva mumbled, "quickly, men, to the surface."

X-X-X

The Eye-Cannon was coming along piece by piece. The old telescopic lens sat beside Ludwig and glistened in the low light. Ludwig pinched the screw-driver and leaned forward.

Ludwig tinkered as best he could. Holding a Mushroomer screwdriver was bad enough with his natural hands. His war-beast talons required tight dexterity. Ludwig pinched the tool and gently twisted his wrist.

Would he still be able to play his piano? Ludwig banished the petty grievance from his mind and sucked a deep breath. Focus, Luddy. Focus.

"You're slipping," the woman's voice said. It echoed inside his cranium and rattled his inner ears. It was never this clear before.

"Foolish beast," a voice mumbled.

"He's gonna kill his friends when he snaps, he's gonna do it," another voice giggled.

"Who are all of you?" Ludwig's inner voice shouted them down.

"He wants to know us, he wants to know our names, foolish beast."

"These 'Embers' as you call them, they have no names, they never did," the woman's voice said, "once they had bodies and were tethered to souls. But those souls have burnt away like kindling, and now they have no names."

"Nameless. We're ghosts of things that don't exist. Ghosts." A voice whimpered.

"We don't need names, I never did."

"And you, you're Samia, somehow," Ludwig said.

Ludwig rubbed thick sludge from his evil eye. The black ooze slithered down his forearm. He really was slipping.

"I am, and yet I am not," Samia said.

Ludwig stared into the Eye of the Stars. The healed seams glowed an intense yellow. It looked like a shoddy mess.

"Make whole," Ludwig growled. He shook his head and fought to reclaim his mind.

"You're a shard," Ludwig's inner-voice returned, "a piece of Samia. Right?"

"It took him this long?" The giggling voice cackled. "He really is a foolish beast."

"How have you survived this long?"

"Yes. You're correct. I am merely an aspect of the true Samia." Samia's Aspect spoke. "And even in my current state, I have imbued you with such power."

"You're going to leave me a mindless slave," Ludwig spit.

"You're already a slave," Samia's Aspect said, "to your father's ambitions, to your tiresome emotions, to your bad habits. What's so wrong with being mine?"

"You're an Ember," Ludwig gritted his teeth, "I can control you."

Samia's Aspect chuckled. "I'm part of a Star. You're nothing compared to that."

The other voices murmured in agreement.

Tack's voice echoed behind Ludwig. "Hey? Stop daydreaming and finish my-"

Ludwig roared and hurled a glob of black tar. The boiling pitch splattered the floor. Tack tumbled behind Ludwig, a cloud of red hovered around his body.

Ludwig knelt forward and held his temples. "Focus." He growled deep.

"What the hell was that?" Tack shouted.

Ludwig saw others peeking into the improvised workshop. They stood at the top of the stairs. Barely poking their noses into the room.

"Weapon," Ludwig rumbled, "almost finished." Ludwig dropped to his rump and sat with his back to the wall. He held his head. He hated the way the others stared.

"It's," Tack huffed, "okay, alright, perfect." A smile lit up his cheeks. He ran to the telescope. "How am I supposed to carry it?"

The Eye-Cannon stretched out like a long-barreled minigun. A stabilizing handle jutted from the top. An improvised grip dangled from the back. All of it welded together by balefire.

Ludwig sighed. In his haste, he had built a Koopan weapon. "I'll use it."

"Oh no you don't, I didn't ask you to build yourself a weapon," Tack snapped.

"Start lifting weights," Ludwig grumbled.

"Unbelievable," Tack pinched his brow, "alright, you said almost finished. What are we missing?"

"Something to hold Her," Ludwig crossed his legs, "Eye put Beh-" Ludwig winced and covered his oozing eye, "big monster in me. User will ab...absorb Star Spirit."

Tack stroked his chin, "a tempting prospect, but, uh, considering your current state. I'll pass."

"What did Hari use?" Ludwig said.

Tack tapped his foot, "this big bright pearl thing hooked up to the Eye, but I'm not sure where we can get one of those on such short notice."

"You're seriously going to imprison her?" Samia's Aspect whispered, "why not let her absorb you. Imagine the strength you could wield. You'd be a captain here in no time."

Ludwig temples throbbed. He closed his eye and glared out into the world with his evil eye. The ruby serpent encircling Tack's body drew Ludwig's eye.

"Your treasure," Ludwig said, and he walked toward Tack, "could use that."

"What are you on about?"

"Your treasure" Ludwig grabbed the Eye-Cannon, "put Samia in that."

"I don't-" Tack clutched at his chest. His eyes narrowed. "Alright, we'll do that when the time comes."

"Then the weapon works," Ludwig sat down once more.

"Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose," Tack grumbled, he leaned over the cannon and prodded it with his foot, "now, how am I going to wield you?" Tack skittered away, an idea flashed in his mind.

Ludwig closed his eyes. His head felt heavy with sleep. If only he could nod off a moment.

But would he wake up again?

X-X

Ludwig's restless thoughts turned to his crew. The others no doubt caught up their rest in the lower part of the observatory. Mario's age showed with each passing hour. The grays in his hair, the stiffness in his bones.

Had Bowser waited a few more years, his stupid plan might have worked. Ludwig scoffed ruefully.

Junior no doubt found himself resting with Vine. The Toad Knight. Ludwig felt a pang of jealousy. Somehow this Mushroomer coaxed a Koopa into being friends. To what end? Smart Toads like Agaricus always had an endgame, a treacherous method to their madness.

Ludwig imagined Cheatsy watching him from the shadows. The sneaky mock-Koopaling's eyes might've been fearful. An emotion that was painfully alien on the proud creature's face.

Cheatsy was a shard too. All of the clones were. Pieces of Samia given rough facsimile bodies. Is that all a Star shard could be? A half-cocked Ember for a half-cocked clone.

Enough of Larry existed in Cheatsy, though. Enough to maintain his free will - almost instinctively. In fact, the longer Ludwig knew Cheatsy, the more like Larry he became.

Somehow, someway, Kooky gave Ludwig a piece of Samia.

Or he took it from Kooky. Ludwig grimaced.

Hidden in the darkness of his mind's eye, Ludwig saw the partial visage of a woman. A translucent shadow shape.

"Samia? Or should I call you that?" Ludwig spoke internally.

"Any sort of name would be inaccurate," the Aspect spoke.

"Then I'll call you Samia," Ludwig said.

"What do you want?"

"Do you really want to be whole again?"

"What sort of question is that?"

The other voices whispered discontents. They berated Ludwig in their usual manner. Ludwig ignored them.

"You've spent a long time separated from your...whole," Ludwig clenched his eyes tight, "so long that in a sense, you've become your own, er, thing."

The voices fell silent.

"I was mistaken earlier, about Embers controlling Embers," Ludwig said, "Embers can only influence the world around them."

"Then allow me to 'influence' you."

"We're both too stubborn to allow anything without consent," Ludwig grunted, "and if you keep pushing me at full tilt, this physical form you have coveted will burn away."

"Are you saying we..." the giggling voice snickered, "oh that's rich. You don't mean it, do you?"

"He's bargaining. He's really desperate."

"I think he's reasonable, I like having a body again," the softer voice whimpered.

"What could you offer me that my Whole could not?" The Aspect scoffed.

"The second you're all assimilated, you'll be forced back into Dry Bones," Ludwig said, "and Samia, you'll lose your individuality."

"He has a point, I like having meat on my bones again," one voice agreed.

"There's plenty of that here," the giggling voice tempered itself, "but he's right. Nothing like smelling things and feeling things again."

"It is much cozier here," the weepy voice said. Ludwig could almost imagine it nodding.

"Oh please, such short-sighted things you are." The Aspect said.

"What's something you guys have missed?" Ludwig smirked.

"I miss the beach, though not so much the sand," the whimpery voice spoke first, it had a smile in its tone, "picking and eating fresh melons. Wild drums and story-telling songs."

"You sound like you could have been saddled to a Yoshi," Ludwig mumbled, "I'm a Koopan prince, I could go anywhere in the world. Even the Yoshi Isles."

"My books. I miss the old paper smells. Once, before all this, my friends would visit in the shop. We would try and write our own stories, and fail miserably," the giggling voice was wistful now, almost melancholy near the end.

"I do love a good novel," Ludwig nodded, "the library at my father's castle is positively brimming with books, and one of my brothers happens to be a voracious reader."

"Cake." The last voice said. "I miss cake."

Silence.

"You know, who doesn't like cake," Ludwig said, "I'll get the best damn cake in the country."

The voices muttered amongst themselves for a moment.

"Why is this even a question?" The Aspect snapped. "Samia could provide you this and more-"

"She didn't last time."

"Yeah. The last body I had didn't even have a stomach or taste buds."

"I don't want to be a pawn again."

"Either you join us, Samia," Ludwig smirked, "or we bury you. I think all of us could manage that."

The Aspect was silent a moment. "Fine."

Ludwig opened his eyes again. The pain in his eye subsided. He stared at his claws.

"First things first," Ludwig said, "can I have my normal body back?"

"You'll be devoured in seconds, why do you think I transformed you?" The Aspect scoffed.

"I'm a little tired of everyone being frightened of me," Ludwig said.

Ludwig yelped. Stabbing pains shot through his legs and into his toes. His claws receded. Ludwig held his breath. He felt his tusk pull back. The spikes on his tail shrunk into plain white buds.

Ludwig gasped for breath as the pain subsided. He stared at his hands.

Ludwig grunted as he tried to stand. His muscles seized as he steadied himself. He grabbed the blue coat still wrapped around his waist.

Ludwig stumbled forward. His feet slammed the floor as he caught himself. Ludwig gulped. He felt the center of his balance settle lower. He spread his feet apart.

Ludwig took a wobbly step, "what did you do to me now?" Ludwig hissed.

"Call it a compromise," the Aspect said, "I compacted your true form into your 'normal' form."

Ludwig regained his balance. He tested his steps. The Koopaling felt massive, despite not precisely looking it. Ludwig looked down at himself. There was definitely more there, Ludwig gulped. Only a mirror would confirm how much more.

"How exactly did you 'compact' me," Ludwig mumbled.

"Aside from bumping you up a shell size or two, most of it went into your bone and muscle density." The Aspect said.

Ludwig flexed his forearm. The keratin scales stretched as the muscle bulged. He whistled.

"The second you lose control, I'm in charge again." The Aspect said. "Don't think I'll let you wander around in this ridiculous form."

"Then I ought to concentrate on maintaining control," Ludwig mumbled. He lumbered around the room. The compacted weight proved more taxing on the environment than himself. The floor trembled, tools and metal bits rattled where they lay. Ludwig imagined finding a proper seat was going to be near impossible outside of Castle Koopa.

Ludwig took a tentative step down the spiral staircase. The metal frame creaked and moaned. Ludwig prayed it would hold a few more trips.

As Ludwig touched the ground, he found the lobby empty.

"Where is everyone?" Ludwig said.

Ludwig heard someone shout above the wailing winds. He cocked his head. The observatory doors at the end of the lobby swung open.


End file.
